Innovative stem cell research by Toronto scientists could lead to breakthroughs in diabetes treatment that would match the significance of the 1921 lifesaving discovery of insulin, says an internationally renowned scientist.
Working hand-in-hand with the clinicians at the Sun Life Financial Banting and Best Diabetes Clinic, researchers from the McEwen Centre for Regenerative Medicine at the University Health Network (UHN) – world-leaders in stem cell research – are creating cells that can produce insulin in the body, says Dr. Gary Lewis, Sun Life Financial Chair in Diabetes and Director of the University of Toronto's Banting and Best Diabetes Centre.
"The cells are still too primitive to be implanted into humans, but we are making great strides in this exciting field," says Dr. Lewis.
"We are driven to find alternatives to insulin injections because they do not perfectly regulate glucose levels in the blood," he says. "You walk a very fine line between glucose that is too low and too high, which can lead to unconsciousness or to other complications, such as kidney failure and amputations. We are very hopeful that stem cell research will provide that alternative for patients with diabetes."
The diabetes clinic at the Toronto General Hospital, where the first patient was treated with insulin in 1921, was recently renamed the Sun Life Financial Banting and Best Diabetes Clinic to mark Sun Life's $5-million gift in support of its innovative advances in diabetic research.
"We are already making good use of those funds," says Dr. Lewis, explaining that the clinic has created a series of awards to fill in gaps in research and pay for vitally needed equipment for diabetes researchers. "We have a rigorous system of peer review, and give awards based on the most innovative research in a variety of areas of diabetes research. Some of it will be for scientists not previously involved in diabetes research, but who are interested in applying their knowledge and skills to the diabetes field."
"Sun Life-supported initiatives include the annual New Investigator Award, given to a highly trained individual setting up their own diabetes research, "says Dr. Lewis. "We are also funding a whole program in knowledge translation that creates tools for pharmacists to help clients manage their diabetes."
Dr. Lewis's own research focuses on the connection between the intestines – once thought to be a relatively inactive organ with respect to how it controls fat particle production – and the development of heart disease, which is a major problem for many people with diabetes. "Seventy-five per cent of deaths among those affected by diabetes will occur from heart attacks, strokes and other problems with the circulation," he notes.
While there is no single cause for this high rate of cardiovascular disease, Dr. Lewis says that one certainty is the high cholesterol and blood fat associated with type 2 diabetes. "We've learned that the intestines regulate little fat packages, or lipoproteins, that circulate throughout the body. With diabetes, the intestines make too many of these fats."
His research has caught the attention of the pharmaceutical industry, he says, because it could lead to new medicines that reduce the degree of damaging fat production in the body and block the development of heart disease in those affected by diabetes.