The researcher Young Zhao, of the Medical Center University of Hackensack (United States), has presented today in Barcelona the "Stem Cell Educator", the first clinical study to treat diabetes with stem cells of the umbilical cord.
Zhao has presented his study this afternoon during the 13th Congress of the Catalan Diabetes Association held between today and tomorrow at the International Convention Center in Barcelona.
The study is the first one that has been done to investigate a possible treatment for type 1 diabetes. The treatment proposed by Dr. Zhao isa cultivation with stem cells from the umbilical cord.
In this way, Zhao explained that they hope that the stem cells 'reeduquen' the patient's lymphocytes to stop attacking insulin producing cells, and after the crop again to inject the lymphocytes into the patient.
Dr. Fàtima Bosch, of the Center for Animal Biotechnology and Genetic Therapy of the Autonomous University of Barcelona, which has presented the latest studies in gene therapy with which it has managed to cure diabetes in dogs, has also participated in the congress.
Experts have also explained the latest advances in the treatment of diabetes complications, the latest surgical techniques, the role of new new technologies in treatments and the latest drugs developed to combat diabetes.