Even though diabetes is not an infectious disease, it is an epidemic in so many ways. In the last decade itself, the number of diabetic cases has risen by 47%. Scientists all over the world are busy trying to find a cure from diabetes, but a miracle drug to cure this condition is yet to be discovered. In plain and simple terms, this disease results from disproportionate amounts of insulin within the body.
This hormone is secreted by the pancreas and is used to regulate the amount of glucose present in a person's blood. Due to excessive weight gain, the body cells often become immune to insulin. This is commonly known as Type 2 diabetes. Another form of this same disease is Type 1. In this instance, the body automatically destroys all the hormones produced by the pancreas, and the patient therefore needs daily hormonal injections in order to survive.
Type 1 form of this disease is potentially life threatening. Both forms of this disease can be controlled with regular medication. In the case of Type 2, if the condition is diagnosed at an early stage, it can be reversed and kept in check with a proper diet and adequate exercise. The search to find an absolute cure from diabetes is still in the experimental stage. Pancreatic transplant is an option that is being considered by many doctors and has been used successfully to offer temporary relief in many cases. However, there are certain drawbacks to this solution.
The immunosuppressant drugs administered during transplants have serious side effects that may result in a relapse of the problem. Therefore, a pancreatic transplant is used only in extreme cases. Islet cell transplants are another option being considered by research medics as a cure from diabetes. It is known to be less invasive than having a pancreatic transplant. In this procedure, islet cells are injected into the patient's liver, where the cells release insulin as and when needed.
The injection is done in the liver rather than in the pancreas simply because the liver is more accessible and the islet cells work more efficiently there. The main problem faced by doctors during a transplant is that of the patient's reaction to immunosuppressant drugs. Any new cell is treated by the patient's body as foreign matter and is therefore rejected.
Drugs that suppress this reaction help to some extent, but the side effects are numerous and do not encourage continued treatment. The recent attempt at inventing a cure from diabetes is aimed at developing a method where the patient's own stem cells are used as a means of cure. However, this treatment, which is still undergoing research, is yet to be perfected.
This hormone is secreted by the pancreas and is used to regulate the amount of glucose present in a person's blood. Due to excessive weight gain, the body cells often become immune to insulin. This is commonly known as Type 2 diabetes. Another form of this same disease is Type 1. In this instance, the body automatically destroys all the hormones produced by the pancreas, and the patient therefore needs daily hormonal injections in order to survive.
Type 1 form of this disease is potentially life threatening. Both forms of this disease can be controlled with regular medication. In the case of Type 2, if the condition is diagnosed at an early stage, it can be reversed and kept in check with a proper diet and adequate exercise. The search to find an absolute cure from diabetes is still in the experimental stage. Pancreatic transplant is an option that is being considered by many doctors and has been used successfully to offer temporary relief in many cases. However, there are certain drawbacks to this solution.
The immunosuppressant drugs administered during transplants have serious side effects that may result in a relapse of the problem. Therefore, a pancreatic transplant is used only in extreme cases. Islet cell transplants are another option being considered by research medics as a cure from diabetes. It is known to be less invasive than having a pancreatic transplant. In this procedure, islet cells are injected into the patient's liver, where the cells release insulin as and when needed.
The injection is done in the liver rather than in the pancreas simply because the liver is more accessible and the islet cells work more efficiently there. The main problem faced by doctors during a transplant is that of the patient's reaction to immunosuppressant drugs. Any new cell is treated by the patient's body as foreign matter and is therefore rejected.
Drugs that suppress this reaction help to some extent, but the side effects are numerous and do not encourage continued treatment. The recent attempt at inventing a cure from diabetes is aimed at developing a method where the patient's own stem cells are used as a means of cure. However, this treatment, which is still undergoing research, is yet to be perfected.
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