A groundbreaking clinical trial has achieved what many considered impossible: freeing patients with brittle Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) from daily insulin injections through innovative cell transplantation and advanced immunotherapy.
Five participants received donor islet cells transplanted into their livers alongside Tegoprubart – an experimental anti-rejection drug developed by researchers at the University of Chicago Transplant Institute and University of Miami. Within weeks, all patients stabilized blood sugar levels without insulin, with some remaining injection-free for over a year.
Dr. Camillo Ricordi of the Diabetes Research Institute called the results at Tokyo's 2025 Cell Transplant Congress "a validation of 40 years of research," emphasizing its potential to address the global diabetes crisis affecting 589 million adults. The disease now claims one life every nine seconds worldwide.
Unlike traditional immunosuppressants linked to toxicity, Tegoprubart specifically targets immune rejection pathways. This precision approach allowed recipients to avoid both insulin dependence and medication side effects – a critical advancement for brittle T1D patients prone to life-threatening blood sugar fluctuations.
While larger trials are needed, researchers highlight the therapy's potential to become a functional cure. As global diabetes costs surpass $1 trillion annually, this breakthrough offers hope for transforming treatment paradigms across Asia and worldwide.
