The technique for turning human stem cells into insulin secreting beta cells have been tweaked by the scientist and shown that, in result, cells are more responsive to fluctuating glucose levels in the blood.
According to the study published in the journal Stem Cell Reports, stem cells can be transformed into cells that produce insulin, the hormone that controls blood sugar.
However, there is a major challenge, the amount of insulin produced by these cells is difficult to control.
The researchers of Washington University in the US, transplanted the beta cells into mice that could not make insulin. They found that the new cells began secreting insulin within a few days, and continued to control blood sugar in the animals for months.
"We have been able to overcome a major weakness in the way these cells previously had been developed. The new insulin-producing cells react more quickly and appropriately when they encounter glucose," said Jeffrey R Millman, an assistant professor at the Washington University.
Millman said that he can not predict exactly when such cells may be ready for human trials but believes there are at least two ways that stem cell-derived beta cells could be tested in human patients.
"The first would be to encapsulate the cells in something like a gel with pores small enough to prevent immune cells from getting in but large enough to allow insulin to get out," he said.
"Another idea would be to use gene editing tools to alter the genes of beta cells in ways that would allow them to 'hide' from the immune system after implantation."
He said if stem cell-derived beta cells are proven safe and effective for people with diabetes, the method of manufacturing the cells quickly could be ramped up to an industrial scale.
The researchers now believe it may be time to evaluate whether the same stem-cell approach could produce insulin and effectively control blood sugar in people.