Chinese researchers announced in February 2026 a breakthrough using reprogrammed stem cells to restore insulin production, successfully reversing type 2 diabetes in a patient after one year without medication, with early results also showing promise for type 1 cases.

The therapy involves converting patient blood cells into insulin-producing islet cells transplanted into the body, avoiding lifelong insulin injections for some; a 2024 Nature study on a similar type 1 case confirmed insulin independence within three months.

Deng Hongkui and his team at Peking University also reported curing a 25-year-old woman with type 1 diabetes using her own reprogrammed stem cells.  Less than three months after transplant, she began producing insulin naturally and has remained insulin-independent for over a year. 

Meanwhile, Vertex Pharmaceuticals reported in a small trial that a stem cell-based treatment, zimislecel, cured 10 out of 12 people with severe type 1 diabetes.  One year later, these patients no longer required insulin, with the remaining two needing significantly reduced doses.

This development could impact over 500 million global diabetes cases, though long-term efficacy and scalability remain under study in ongoing trials, sparking widespread optimism in online discussions.

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