Type 1 diabetes: research cut to the chase

On the eve of World Diabetes Day, it is worth remembering that we still do not fully understand how type 1 diabetes develops, and that we still do not know how to cure it. How to stop the disease itself?

Worldwide, more than eight million people live with this autoimmune disease, and the number of patients continues to increase by 3 to 4% per year. For the moment, treatments do not make it possible to fight against it, they are limited to compensating for the lack of insulin. For the first time, a patient produced it, alone, thanks to a transplant of reprogrammed stem cells. If this pioneering experience remains very marginal, what have been the revolutions in the treatment of this pathology and, above all, what are the revolutions to come?

Could we treat diabetic patients before it is too late?

A report produced by Alexandre Morales

Roberto Mallone, diabetologist and director of a research team at the Cochin Institute is working on a way to detect T1D before its symptoms develop. For this, he is developing a test for measuring autoantibodies, antibodies directed towards the body of the future patient. Managing to detect diabetes before too many β cells are destroyed would allow patients’ insulin autonomy to be preserved for longer.

To go further

Find le thread of today’s show on the BlueSky thread of La Science, CQFD.

Type 1 diabetes: reprogrammed stem cells helped “cure” a patient (Le Monde, 2024)

World first: a woman with type 1 diabetes produces her own insulin (Sciences and Future, 2024)

Type 1 diabetes, an increasingly common autoimmune disease (Inserm, 2019)

Musical references

Today’s title: Symptoms by IVORY CLAY

The opening credits: goca world by Altin Gun

The end credits: Pingpxng par Yin Yin