An international team of scientists from Sweden and the United States has reported a major breakthrough in treating type 1 diabetes.

The researchers announced the world’s first successful transplant of genetically modified pancreatic islet cells, allowing a patient to regain natural insulin production.

The procedure was designed to prevent the body from rejecting transplanted cells. Before implantation, three genetic edits were made using the CRISPR tool. Two edits reduced antigens used by adaptive T cells to identify foreign objects. The third increased production of a protein called CD47, which blocks innate immune cell responses.

The patient, a 42-year-old man living with type 1 diabetes since childhood, received donor islet cells injected into his forearm muscle. Within 12 weeks, the modified cells began producing insulin in response to glucose after meals. Notably, this was achieved without the use of immunosuppressant drugs.

The results, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, were revealed as a pioneering step toward safer and more effective treatments for type 1 diabetes.

Researchers reported that the study could pave the way for wider applications in organ and cell transplantation. They added that the same approach may also be used to treat other diseases in the future.

Key Highlights:

• First-ever CRISPR-modified islet cell transplant for type 1 diabetes.
• Patient restored natural insulin production without immunosuppressants.
• Study published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

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