Trending Now - New Method Shows Promise in Curing Type 1 Diabetes in Mice
WHO:
Bain Brandon, a 20-month-old baby diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in 2025.
Marlee, Bain's mother.
Jacob Enriquez, PhD, lead study author and postdoctoral scholar at the University of Chicago.
Mirmira, co-author and director of the UChicago Diabetes Research and Training Center.
Seung Kim, MD, PhD, multidisciplinary professor at Stanford University.
Dr. Judith Shizuru, a member of the Stanford study team.
Researchers from the University of Chicago and Stanford University.
WHAT:
Development of an mRNA therapy by University of Chicago researchers to prevent or slow the development of type 1 diabetes.
The therapy uses a "nanoparticle" system to deliver genetic instructions to insulin-producing cells.
In early animal testing, the therapy delayed type 1 diabetes progression in mice.
Stanford University researchers cured type 1 diabetes in mice using a double-transplant method involving islet cells and blood stem cells.
19 out of 19 mice were prevented from developing type 1 diabetes, and 9 out of 9 mice with long-term type 1 diabetes were cured without needing insulin or immunosuppressant drugs for six months.
WHERE:
University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois.
Stanford University, Stanford, California.
WHEN:
Findings from the University of Chicago study were published in the journal Cell Reports Medicine (exact date not specified).
The Stanford study results were reported in 2026.
The previous study referenced by Dr. Shizuru was published in 2022.
WHY:
The mRNA therapy aims to protect insulin-producing beta cells from autoimmune attacks in type 1 diabetes.
The Stanford study seeks to create a hybrid immune system to prevent ongoing destruction of islet cells in type 1 diabetes.
HOW:
The University of Chicago's mRNA therapy triggers the production of PD-L1 protein to protect against immune attacks.
The Stanford study involved transplanting islet cells and blood stem cells from a healthy mouse to create a hybrid immune system in diabetic mice.
A pre-transplant preparatory drug was used to create a gentler approach to blood stem cell transplantation.
Researchers from the University of Chicago and Stanford University have made significant strides in the fight against type 1 diabetes, with a new mRNA therapy that aims to protect insulin-producing cells from autoimmune attacks. In early animal testing, this therapy delayed the progression of diabetes in mice, while Stanford's study successfully cured all tested mice with long-term diabetes using a double-transplant method involving islet and blood stem cells. These groundbreaking findings highlight the potential for innovative treatments to change the lives of those affected by type 1 diabetes.