Author(s): Robinson Nicholas
Regenerative medicine "is aimed at replacing or repairing human cells, or regenerating tissues and organs to restore normal function," the commissioner said in a report. By emphasizing "normal function", this approach to medical treatment is distinguished from many commonly used drugs that tend to treat symptoms but cannot address the underlying cause. For example, people with type 1 diabetes cannot produce insulin. Instead, daily insulin injections are needed to control blood sugar levels. Regenerative medicine seeks to solve this problem by regenerating the islets of Langerhans, which allows individuals to produce insulin. This means that insulin injections are gone and normal glucose metabolism is restored. Although it is not yet realistic to treat type 1 diabetes in this way, there are some areas of regenerative medicine that are well established in the medical setting.
