In a remarkable medical achievement, Chinese scientists have for the first time successfully reversed both type 1 and type 2 diabetes in humans using stem-cell therapy. The treatment involves cultivating stem cells that are engineered to regenerate the insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas, and the early results suggest patients regained insulin production and achieved normal blood sugar levels.

In this pioneering approach, researchers extracted adult somatic cells (for example, from fat tissue) and reprogrammed them into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). These iPSCs were then differentiated into islet-like cells — the insulin-secreting beta cells that are damaged or destroyed in diabetes. In one high-profile case, a 25-year-old woman with long-standing type 1 diabetes received an implantation of such cells derived from her own fat tissue. After approximately 75 days, she ceased insulin injections; more than a year later she remained insulin-independent and maintained normal glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) and glucose control. Xinhua English+2Medical News Today+2

According to the study published in Cell, this is the first time a type 1 diabetes patient has achieved sustained insulin production after stem-cell therapy. Xinhua English+1 Meanwhile, reports suggest the approach is being extended and adapted to type 2 diabetes patients as well; some commentary indicates Chinese teams claim reversal of type 2 diabetes in early trials using similar technology. genfosis.com+1

For people living with diabetes, the implications are profound. Historically, treatment has centered on lifelong management: daily insulin injections for type 1, or oral medications, injections, diet and lifestyle adjustment for type 2. The goal has been glycaemic control and complication prevention, not restoration of endogenous insulin production. This new regenerative-medicine approach shifts the paradigm from management to a potential cure — restoring the body’s own capacity to regulate glucose by rebuilding pancreatic function.

Researchers highlight, however, that these results remain at an early, experimental stage. While the first patient’s outcome is exceptional, the study is ongoing and includes only a small number of participants so far. Medical News Today+1 Key questions remain: Will the results be reproducible at scale? Can the therapy be extended safely to large numbers of patients? Will the regenerated islet cells persist long-term and resist immune attack (especially in type 1 diabetes, where autoimmune destruction is the cause)? What will the cost, accessibility and regulatory pathway look like?

Nonetheless, the promise is enormous. With over 500 million people worldwide living with diabetes or pre-diabetes, and with the global burden of diabetic complications (kidney failure, blindness, cardiovascular disease) rising, a therapy that could restore normal pancreatic insulin production would be transformative. genfosis.com+1 Furthermore, this breakthrough opens a broader door: if damaged or diseased organs or tissues can be regenerated via stem-cell-derived tissue implants, similar strategies might follow for other chronic conditions beyond diabetes.

In summary, while more research is needed — more patients, longer follow-up, rigorous randomized trials — the field of diabetes care appears poised to enter a new era of true regeneration and recovery rather than lifelong reliance on external insulin or medications. The future of diabetes treatment may no longer just be “control” but restoration of healthy function.

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References:

• “Type 1 diabetes patient functionally cured via chemically induced stem cell-islets,” Xinhua, Sept. 26, 2024. Xinhua English

• Flynn, Hannah. “Stem-cell therapy reverses type 1 diabetes in groundbreaking case study,” Medical News Today, Oct. 4, 2024. Medical News Today

• Antoniou, Victoria. “Stem-Cell Therapy Success in China Marks Milestone in Type 1 Diabetes Treatment,” EMJ Reviews, Nov. 9, 2024. European Medical Journal

• “China’s Breakthrough in Diabetes Treatment: Stem Cell Therapy for a Future Without Insulin,” Genfosis blog, Sept. 4, 2025. genfosis.com

• J. Lu et al., “Future prospects in stem cell therapy for diabetes,” PMC, 2025. PMC