New research presented today at the International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) 2026 Annual Meeting explores an approach that could expand the potential of cell replacement therapy for type 1 diabetes by assessing whether immune-modified allogeneic insulin-producing cells can survive and function without chronic immunosuppression.
This research addresses one of the central challenges of the field: overcoming immune rejection, which has limited the widespread use of islet- and stem cell-based replacement therapies for type 1 diabetes.
“Type 1 diabetes is still primarily treated by replacing insulin, rather than replacing lost insulin-producing cells,” Sonya Schlöpfer, MD, of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in the US, and visiting professor at Uppsala University, Sweden, told the conference. “Our goal is to develop cell replacement approaches that can survive and function without chronic immunosuppression, with a long-term vision to provide curative therapies for patients with type 1 diabetes.”
This first-in-human study aims to assess whether hypoimmune engineering allows transplanted allogeneic cells to survive, remain protected from immune attack, and function without the need for chronic immunosuppression.
Most importantly, human studies can now ask whether hypoimmune engineering allows transplanted allogeneic cells to function continuously without chronic immunosuppression. That was a central issue for the field. ”
Dr. Sonja Schrepfer, MD, Ph.D., Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, USA
Beyond their potential impact on type 1 diabetes, this study may inform the broader development of allogeneic stem cell-based therapies by investigating whether immune-modified cells can be safely evaluated for persistence, immune protection, and function in humans.
If future studies confirm this finding, it could help expand access to cell-replacement therapies by eliminating one of the major barriers to their widespread use.
“These findings may support a future in which cell replacement therapy for type 1 diabetes becomes more broadly applicable and no longer requires lifelong immunosuppression,” Dr. Schlepfer explained. “This will be an important step toward functional cure by replacing lost insulin-producing cells, restoring biological insulin production, and easing the burden of daily disease management on patients.”
Important questions remain, including how long the therapy lasts, how hypoimmune cells interact with both allo- and autoimmune responses, and how this approach can be developed into a scalable treatment for larger patient populations.
“If transplanted cells can be reliably protected from immune rejection, this approach could open the door to many types of off-the-shelf cells, tissues, and ultimately organ replacement therapies available to patients when and where they are needed,” she said.
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International Stem Cell Research Association
