Chinese researchers have achieved a medical breakthrough by using endoderm stem cell-derived islet-like tissues (E-islet) to restore pancreatic islet function in patients with type 1 diabetes, potentially offering a new therapeutic option for millions worldwide.

The research team established a technological system based on endoderm stem cells, through which they successfully constructed functional regenerative islets designed for patients with diabetes caused by severe islet function impairment or total islet failure. Notably, the team completed the world's first successful minimally invasive transplant using regenerative islets derived from both autologous and allogeneic stem cells.

This is a milestone that enables the full functional reconstruction of pancreatic islets in patients with type 1 diabetes. The Shanghai-based team has successfully treated three patients with type 1 diabetes using E-islet.

Conventional methods use pluripotent stem cells, which are the developmental "root" capable of becoming any cell type. However, the process of deriving pancreatic islets involves an in vitro "branching" process that is lengthy and often inefficient, frequently leading to the generation of non-target cells.

The new procedure reconstructed islet-like tissue using stem cells, or an endodermal branch, bypassing the prolonged differentiation process needed for traditional pluripotent stem cells. This reduces cultivation time from 40 days to just 14 days and minimizes the risk of tumor formation, as endoderm stem cells themselves do not proliferate in vivo.

The related research findings have been published in the leading international academic journal The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology, one of the most influential peer-reviewed journals in the field of diabetes and endocrinology, which represents global academic recognition of China's cutting-edge advances in regenerative medicine. This innovative therapy showcases the potential efficacy of such approaches in addressing this severe chronic condition, which traditionally necessitates lifelong insulin injections.