Читать книгу The SAGE Encyclopedia of Stem Cell Research - Группа авторов - Страница 387

As stated above, there is no cure for diabetes. Contrary to type 2 diabetes that can most of the time be controlled by a healthy diet and regular exercise, type 1 diabetes cannot. Individuals suffering from type 1 diabetes must test their blood sugar levels several times a day and get insulin injections whenever needed. If not treated, high blood sugar levels can seriously damage the eyes, heart, kidneys, blood vessels, and nerves. On the other hand, injecting too much of insulin can reduce the blood sugar level to a dangerous level that could result in hypoglycemia and be fatal.

Current treatment of type 1 diabetes takes place through transplantation of islet cells or even pancreas, into the patient. Transplants serve to incite the body to regain control of blood sugar levels so that insulin injections are no longer necessary. Islet transplantation is becoming the standard treatment. Transplanting a whole pancreas often involves major surgery—which is significant in terms of potential risks. But even with such treatment, there are limitations: the number of donors is most of the time outweighed by the demand. Another constraint lies in the fact that transplants require the immune system to be suppressed in order to prevent rejection of the “foreign” organ. The use of immune-suppressing drugs can cause side effects to the recipient, and it can also leave him/her vulnerable to potential infection.

Significant progress in the treatment of type 2 diabetes includes the implementation of prevention initiatives aimed at developing new classes of medications to lower blood glucose and complement existing therapies. The current treatment strategy for type 2 diabetes continues to include traditional drugs focusing on β-cell failure and insulin resistance. It aims, additionally, at studying carefully the impact of such therapies on related comorbidities such as hypertension, obesity, and hypercoagulability.