
Johnson and Johnson, ViaCyte Testing Possible Diabetes Cure - Shivetya
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/johnson-johnson-viacyte-testing-diabetes-cure-36704965
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sageabilly
The meat of the announcement, from Fortune[1]:

 _The therapy, which is being tested in a small number of patients with Type 1
diabetes, implants a small capsule under the skin that is teeming with
insulin-producing cells made from embryonic stem cells. The capsule acts like
an artificial pancreas, creating insulin in diabetic bodies that can’t make
their own._

[1][http://fortune.com/2016/02/04/diabetes-cure-johnson-
viacyte/](http://fortune.com/2016/02/04/diabetes-cure-johnson-viacyte/)

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coldpie
So this is actually about Type 1? I usually ignore headlines that don't
specify, since they're almost always about Type 2.

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tonyedgecombe
It's a shame they don't have different names, so many people get confused
between the two.

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refurb
These headlines are starting to annoy me. Yes, it says "possible cure", but
I'd bet if you asked the companies involved if they were comfortable with the
headline, they would say "no".

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coldpie
I was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in 2001, and I was assured there would be
a "cure" of some sort by the time I was 30. I'm 28 now, and as far as I can
tell, there's been no significant progress towards a cure. I've long since
stopped paying attention to the news; my endocrinologist will let me know if
something happens.

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maxerickson
I think your endocrinologist will certainly let you know about a viable cure
(or perhaps greatly improved treatment) and so I do not mean to take issue
with that strategy, but they are doing human testing on this thing. That's
progress!

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officialchicken
I want a cure, like many, but I don't consider this progress - there is no
breakthru, just another alternate of another previous study. Most FDA drug
studies never make it from the investigational phase to studies/trials to
market, like this announcement [1][2].

There have been ongoing human trials for this or that at least my entire life.
And every single one of them have failed due to the researches thinking they
can "trick" the immune system into accepting a foreign body/substance.

Last time around (2-5 years ago) it was "inhale" or eyedrop insulin.

[1]
[http://www.nature.com/nbt/journal/v32/n1/full/nbt.2786.html](http://www.nature.com/nbt/journal/v32/n1/full/nbt.2786.html)
[2] [http://www.reuters.com/article/us-pharmaceuticals-success-
id...](http://www.reuters.com/article/us-pharmaceuticals-success-
idUSTRE71D2U920110214)

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Shivetya
Well the only issues I have is that it requires the device to be implanted and
the details are scarce on what that involves. How big is this device really?
Capsule is used then business card and lets be honest, there ain't much in
common with the two. Can new cells be added without surgery?

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kahirsch
Picture here: [http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/2014/oct/07/stem-
ce...](http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/2014/oct/07/stem-cell-meeting-
mesa-2014/)

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dbcooper
TIL: go.com still exists.

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jdmichal
Disney has owned go.com since at least 1998. Why would you ever expect Disney
to give up such a powerful domain name?

[https://whois.icann.org/en/lookup?name=go.com](https://whois.icann.org/en/lookup?name=go.com)

