Imagine a world where Type 1 diabetes patients ditch daily insulin injections. A recent clinical trial has brought this vision closer to reality by transplanting healthy islet cells into patients' livers, combined with a novel anti-rejection drug called Tegoprubart.
Led by Dr. Camillo Ricordi and teams at the University of Chicago Transplant Institute and the Diabetes Research Institute at the University of Miami, the trial infused donor islet cells into five patients with brittle T1D—a form marked by dangerous blood sugar swings. Remarkably, all participants stopped insulin within weeks, and early patients have remained insulin-free for 14 months.
Global diabetes rates are skyrocketing: 589 million adults are affected today, up from 171 million in 2000. With diabetes-related costs topping $1 trillion and 3.4 million deaths last year alone, the urgency for better treatments has never been greater.
"These results validate decades of work to make islet transplantation safer and more widely accessible," Dr. Ricordi said at the 2025 Congress of the Cell Transplant and Regenerative Medicine Society in Tokyo.
The trial's success offers a blueprint for scaling up in diverse healthcare systems worldwide—from the Americas and Europe to emerging markets in Asia and Africa. As researchers plan larger studies, this breakthrough could reshape diabetes care, reduce healthcare burdens, and restore freedom for millions.
For now, the five participants are living proof of progress: free from daily injections, they're experiencing life-changing relief—one step closer to a world without insulin dependence.
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Life-changing trial frees Type 1 diabetes patients from insulin jabs
cgtn.com
