A group of researchers at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) recently developed a new stem cell therapy with the remarkable ability to reverse new-onset type 1 diabetes (T1D) in mouse models.
Dr. Hongjun Wang, associate director of the South Carolina Clinical Translational Research (SCTR) Institute Pilot Program and co-scientific director of the Cell Therapy Center, led the team. Co-author Dr. Hua Wei. Dr. Kim Ju-dong; and Dr. Wenyu Gou, along with other collaborators, conducted the bulk of the research to establish these findings, and the results were published in the journal. molecular therapy.
This research study marks a pivotal move away from the current standard of managing blood sugar through multiple daily insulin injections and toward a permanent method of reprogramming the immune system itself. For the millions of people currently living with T1D, this could be a game-changer.
Although insulin injections can save lives, they cannot stop the immune attack or prevent long-term complications. This research suggests a new way to treat type 1 diabetes by addressing the root cause, immune system dysfunction, rather than simply managing blood sugar levels. ”
Dr. Hongjun Wang, South Carolina Clinical and Translational Research (SCTR) Institute Pilot Program Deputy Director
This experimental treatment uses mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs), which are adult stem cells with the natural ability to heal tissues and regulate the immune system. Previous clinical trials have shown that standard MSCs can help maintain residual insulin production in T1D patients. However, without measures to combat the body’s severe inflammatory response, mesenchymal stem cells may become overwhelmed before fully reversing established disease.
To strengthen the cells, Wang’s team genetically modified mesenchymal stem cells to produce alpha-1 antitrypsin (AAT), a protective protein that acts as a shield against inflammation. This creates a compound effect. AAT-MSCs are now able to protect surviving insulin-producing cells in the pancreas and simultaneously shut down excessive immune responses. Co-senior author Charlie Strange, MD, emphasized that this dual action makes AAT-MSC therapy more powerful than standard stem cell therapy.
Reprogramming the immune system
Wang’s team then set out to understand how the therapy worked at the cellular level. By analyzing thousands of individual immune cells, they found that infusions of AAT-MSCs not only suppressed an overactive immune system; We actively reprogrammed it.
The therapy works by retraining two difficult aspects of the immune system: the regulatory peacekeeping cells that try to maintain insulin production in the pancreas, and the attacker CD8+ killer T cells, which drive the immune attack and destroy insulin-producing cells. Peacekeepers are always present in the pancreas, but in T1D, a constantly attacking swarm of cells overwhelms the pancreas’ defensive capabilities, leading to a loss of insulin production.
However, after AAT-MSC treatment, Wang and her team observed a significant increase in the number of peacekeeping cells and a decrease in active attacking cells, which appeared to be exhausted by the treatment.
One thing that sets this treatment apart from other treatments is how long it lasts. Although the stem cells themselves were removed from the body within hours or days, the immune reprogramming effects persisted.
“Stem cells themselves do not need to be present to affect or treat T1D,” Wang says. “This means that when cell therapy is administered to a patient, its effects can last from six months to two years, as seen in clinical trials using MSCs for various diseases.” Wang believes this is because AAT-MSCs secrete microscopic factors that continue to protect the body’s organs long after the cells have disappeared.
A future full of hope
The study specifically focused on new-onset diabetes, a period during which patients are likely to retain insulin-producing cells that could be rescued. The Wang team is currently testing the safety and efficacy of MSCs in patients with new-onset type 1 diabetes in clinical trials. Wang’s previous research in this area was made possible by an SCTR Discovery Grant.
This research has had far-reaching implications, and the team is already investigating how this immune reprogramming strategy can be applied to other inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, such as lupus and chronic pancreatitis.
Although further research is needed before this treatment can move into clinical trials, the findings offer great hope for the future of diabetes treatment.
“If the preliminary study is successful, we hope to conduct a large multicenter trial in type 1 diabetes,” Wang said. “The good news is there’s research showing that even if you’ve had T1D for years, you still have some functioning insulin-producing cells left. So we’re hopeful that we can apply this to patients with long-term T1D.”
Clinical trial information
The Wang Lab is actively recruiting participants for two chronic pancreatitis trials:
- Safety and efficacy of mesenchymal stem cells (STEMCAP-1) associated with pain in chronic pancreatitis
- A new cell therapy for the treatment of pain associated with chronic pancreatitis (MSCPainRelief)
sauce:
Medical University of South Carolina
Reference magazines:
Wei, H. Others. (2026). Controlling autoimmunity: Mesenchymal stromal cells overexpressing alpha-1 antitrypsin promote regulatory T cell crosstalk to reverse diabetes. molecular therapy. DOI: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2026.03.032. https://www.cell.com/molecular-therapy-family/molecular-therapy/abstract/S1525-0016(26)00217-0
