A Diabetic Stem Cell refers to a research term describing hematopoietic stem cells in the bone marrow that become epigenetically abnormal when exposed to high blood glucose levels.
Under normal conditions, hematopoietic stem cells produce blood cells and support tissue repair throughout the body. However, in hyperglycemic environments, the expression of histone deacetylases (HDACs) becomes dysregulated, causing these cells to transform into diabetes-specific abnormal hematopoietic stem cells. These cells circulate through the bloodstream, migrate to multiple organs such as nerves, kidneys, bones, and liver, and cause chronic inflammation and tissue damage—thereby reinforcing the persistent, “incurable” nature of diabetes.
Recent mouse studies (e.g., Communications Biology, 2023) demonstrated that short-term co-administration of HDAC inhibitors and insulin can reset these abnormal stem cells. Even after stopping the treatment, blood glucose levels remained in the normal range, resulting in complete remission.
Furthermore, in experiments targeting and removing CD106-positive short-term hematopoietic stem cells, dramatic improvement was observed in complications such as diabetic neuropathy.
In essence, “curing diabetes” means more than just lowering blood glucose—it involves normalizing the abnormal stem cells that trigger the disease and breaking the cycle of recurrence.
If similar results are confirmed in human trials, this could fundamentally transform conventional diabetes care, which relies on insulin injections and complication management, and would represent a major breakthrough in the field.
