China, which is the diabetic capital of the world with 92.3 million diabetic population, has started pursuing stem cell research, following the footsteps of Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, says Dr Anil Bhansali of the Department of Endocrinology.
The International Diabetes Federation, in a report published on November 14, 2012 claimed that India is just behind China with 63 million diabetic population. The Government of India after this decided to emphasise more on prevention of diabetes rather than its cure, in which PGIMER has played a pivotal role.
Dr Bhansali said, “The study conceived in 2008 to treat type-2 diabetes has shown better results, and it has been improved since its inception at the premier health institute. Around 45 patients have been induced with stem cells shots and the success is around 70 to 80 percent. After increasing the number of shots of stem cells, from the patients own body, the success rate has been better.”
Dr Bhansali was the main author of the study published in an international journal –Cell Transplantation. Many questions were raised about the study and the foremost being that the patients, who were of insulin, achieved it by reducing their weight.
Dr Rama Walia, Asst professor at the Department refuted this entire claim and said, “The success of stem cell therapy was also tried, where the study was carried upon patients with whose weight was constant, and in the course of the study it was found that even these patients were off insulin.”
In course of the study it was established that stem cells that went inside the residual beta cell function to regenerate pancreas, the main organ responsible for secreting insulin inside the body. The success of the study has now prompted world leaders like China to follow the same course and the PGIMER study has been their source of inspiration.