Overview
- Stanford reports in JCI Insight that pairing blood stem cell and pancreatic islet transplants after only 10 cGy of total-body radiation cured or prevented type 1 diabetes in mouse models.
- The method built a hybrid immune system containing donor and recipient cells that stopped the autoimmune attack and taught the body to accept donor islets without long-term immunosuppressants.
- The low-intensity conditioning used an αCD117 antibody and brief T cell depletion plus baricitinib, venetoclax, and an αCD47 antibody to open marrow space and support donor cell engraftment.
- Treated mice showed stable donor cell levels, no graft-versus-host disease—a dangerous immune reaction—continued insulin independence, and preserved fertility for the length of the study.
- The study extends earlier Stanford work that needed much higher radiation, and the team plans more preclinical tests and exploration of alternate islet sources before any human trials.