madde
08-20-2007, 03:20 PM
Ahmedabad, August 14: Diabetics can hope to bid goodbye to daily insulin intakes. The Institute of Kidney Diseases and Research Centre (IKDRC) and Institute of Transplantation Sciences (ITS) has discovered magical properties of certain cells that can produce insulin in the body if transplanted in the liver.
India has almost 33 million diabetics, with Gujarat having the highest number. At present, the only options available to diabetics are life-long medications, strict dietary and lifestyle control. But despite this, 30 per cent diabetics succumb to organ failures.
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IKDRC Director Dr H L Trivedi and his team have been researching stem cells for the past nine years. They were trying to isolate mesenchymal cells which act as big brother to transplanted cells _ they protect the new cells from being rejected by the recipient body.
The team discovered a special property of big brother cells that had gone unnoticed by researchers in the past.
“These cells have an on-and-off mechanism to produce insulin,” says Trivedi. “Insulin production takes place when these cells are dipped in a sugar-containing solution.”
These cells are present as back-up insulin producers, waiting to be discovered. They can be easily transplanted directly into the liver, the centre of insulin production. In the absence or deficiency of insulin, the metabolism of the body comes to a slow halt. The kidneys, lungs, nerves, eyes, brain and heart can stop functioning, leading to a silent heart attack.
Dr Aruna Vanikar, who led the stem cell research team, explains: “The diabetic needs a donation of about two grams of fat from the belly of any healthy donor. The mesenchymal cells can easily be cultured from this fat and transplanted into the patient’s liver through a simple mini laporotomy surgery.” The estimated cost of the surgery is Rs 1 lakh. In the liver, these cells will produce insulin regularly.
At present, diabetics have to inject themselves with insulin twice a day but since this is not available directly to the liver, some of the insulin is invariably lost. “When insulin is secreted directly by the pancreas, 90 per cent of it is used in the liver and the rest is used for peripheral metabolic activity,” says Dr Pranjal Modi, head of transplantation surgery at IKDRC-ITS.
India has almost 33 million diabetics, with Gujarat having the highest number. At present, the only options available to diabetics are life-long medications, strict dietary and lifestyle control. But despite this, 30 per cent diabetics succumb to organ failures.
Bride Groom
18 - 24 25 - 30 31 - 35 36 - 45 46 - 50 50+
India USA United Kingdom UAE Canada Australia Pakistan Saudi Arabia Kuwait South Africa
IKDRC Director Dr H L Trivedi and his team have been researching stem cells for the past nine years. They were trying to isolate mesenchymal cells which act as big brother to transplanted cells _ they protect the new cells from being rejected by the recipient body.
The team discovered a special property of big brother cells that had gone unnoticed by researchers in the past.
“These cells have an on-and-off mechanism to produce insulin,” says Trivedi. “Insulin production takes place when these cells are dipped in a sugar-containing solution.”
These cells are present as back-up insulin producers, waiting to be discovered. They can be easily transplanted directly into the liver, the centre of insulin production. In the absence or deficiency of insulin, the metabolism of the body comes to a slow halt. The kidneys, lungs, nerves, eyes, brain and heart can stop functioning, leading to a silent heart attack.
Dr Aruna Vanikar, who led the stem cell research team, explains: “The diabetic needs a donation of about two grams of fat from the belly of any healthy donor. The mesenchymal cells can easily be cultured from this fat and transplanted into the patient’s liver through a simple mini laporotomy surgery.” The estimated cost of the surgery is Rs 1 lakh. In the liver, these cells will produce insulin regularly.
At present, diabetics have to inject themselves with insulin twice a day but since this is not available directly to the liver, some of the insulin is invariably lost. “When insulin is secreted directly by the pancreas, 90 per cent of it is used in the liver and the rest is used for peripheral metabolic activity,” says Dr Pranjal Modi, head of transplantation surgery at IKDRC-ITS.