Diabetic Men May Soon Be Able to Grow Their Own Insulin-Making Cells

Monday, December 13, 2010 - 14:03 in Health & Medicine

Men with type-1 diabetes might be able to grow new insulin cells from their own testicular tissue, according to a new study. Testicular treatment could even be safer and more effective than stem-cell therapies. Related ArticlesScientists Use Stem Cells To Create Mice With Two Genetic FathersIn First Stem Cell Stroke Trial, Scottish Patient Has Embryonic Stem Cells Injected Into His BrainIn Japanese Study, Stem Cell Injections Shown to Provide Simple Route to Breast AugmentationTagsScience, Rebecca Boyle, diabetes, diabetics, human sperm, insulin, stem cells, stem-cell spermResearchers at Georgetown University Medical Center were able to coax human spermatogonial stem cells, which are precursors to sperm cells, into becoming adult stem cells. Sperm cells already have the genes necessary to become embryonic stem cells, the researchers point out in a Georgetown news release. This way, the researchers didn't have to use gene therapy to create induced pluripotent stem cells (IPS cells) - "These are...

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