JESSICA: MORE THAN 1.5 MILLION AMERICANS HAVE TYPE DIAB1 ETES. CHANGINGOT N JUST HOW THEY LIVE, BUT THEIR QUALITY OF LE.IF NOAW BOSTON COMPANY MAY BE ON THE VERGE OF CHANGING THAT,ND A ONE MAN SAYS HE’S LIVING PROOF. 64-YEAR-OLD BRIAN SHELTON HAS LIVEWID TH TYPE 1 DIABETES FOR MORE THAN 40 YEARS, REMO THAN A DECADE OF THAT INCLUDING DANGERSOU EPISODES OF HYPOGLYCEMIA. >> YOU SPEND YOUR ENTIRE LIFE EVERY MINUTE OF THE DAY, TRYING TO KEEP TRACK OF WHERE YOUR NUMBERS ARE AT. JESSICA: SOMETIMES, WHEN HIS BLOOD SGAR DROPPED, HE SAYS HE’D LE OSCONSCIOUSNESS WITHOUT WARNING >> I SHOVEL DOWN THE SNOW // AND WHEN I GOT INSIDE THE GARAGE MY NUMBER CRASHED AND I WENT FACE FIRST INTO THE CONCRETE BUT NOW BRNIA SAYS HIS LIFE HAS CHANGED AFTER BECOMING PAROFT A GROUNDBREAKING NEW CLICALNI TRIAL ORIGINATING IN BOSN. FELICIA PAGLUI.CA HEADS UP THE TYP1E DIABETES PROGRAM AT VERTEX PHARMACEUTICALS. USING A DISCOVERY MADE BY HARVARD PROFESRSO DR. DOUGLAS MELTON, THE PIONEERING WORK HERE TARGETS THE ROOT CSEAU OF THE DISEASE. IN PEOPLE WITH TYPE 1 DIABETES, THE BODY ATTACKS THE CELLS IN THE PANCASRE THAT CREATE INSULIN, BUT WITH THIS NEW TREATMENT, THE PATIENT RECEIVES AN INFIONUS OF NEWCELLS, GROWN FROM STEM CELLS, THAT HE TOLP RESTORE THE BODY’S NATURAL ABILITY TO CREATE AND REGULATE THAT INSULIN, ESSENTIALLY GIVING THE DYBO BACK THE CELLS ITOS L >> BRIAN’S RESULTS ARE NOTHING SHORT OF REMARKAE.BL WE’VE SEEN IMPROVEMENTS IN HIS GLUCOSE CONTROL, IMPROVEMENTS IN HIS NEED FOR INSULIN, IMPROVEMENTS IN SHI ABILITY TO MAKE INSULIN ON HIS OWN BECAEUS THOSE CELLS ARE THERE. WE HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO WITH THIS DATA, IT GIVES US GREAT CONFIDEN.CE JESSICA: BRIAN SAYS HE CAN NOW GO DAYS WITHOUT TAKING INSULIN AND NO LONGER FEARS THOSE SUDDEN DANGEROUS CRASHES >> OF ALL MY NUMBERS ARE RIGHT IN LINE AND JUST SEEING THAT YOU KNOW, MAKES ME FEEL GREAT. I FEEL LIKE I’M GETNG ATINOTHER CHANCE AT LI.FE JESSICA: ONE OF THE LEAD DOCTORS AT MASS GENERAL WORKING ON THIS TRIAL CALLED THE EARLY RESULTS, IN HIS WORDS, STRIKI.NG KEEP IN MIND, THESE ARE EARLY DAYS, THIS IS A FIVE YEAR STUDY, SO THERE IS STILL A LOT OF WORK TO BE DONE BEFORE THIS TREATMENT CAN BE BROUGHT TO THE MA
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Type 1 diabetes cure? Man credits Boston company’s study for new lease on life
Updated: 6:50 PM EST Dec 6, 2021
A sign of hope for the 1.5 million Americans living with Type 1 diabetes — a possible cure may be on the horizon. For one man, it seems to have worked, and the research was done in Boston. Brian Shelton, of Elyria, Ohio, said Type 1 diabetes ruled his life.When his blood sugar dropped, he would sometimes lose consciousness without warning.Earlier this year, Shelton enrolled in a clinical trial through Vertex Pharmaceuticals.In June, he received an infusion of cells, grown from stem cells just like the insulin-producing pancreas cells his body lacked.Today, his body automatically controls its insulin and blood sugar levels.”I feel like I got released from handcuffs,” Shelton said. “I’m not sitting here like, ‘where’s my orange juice? Where’s my pills? Where’s my shot?’ you know, it’s like I don’t need them.” Shelton may be the first person cured of the disease with this treatment. “Brian’s results are nothing short of remarkable,” said Felicia Pagliuca, of Vertex Pharmaceuticals. “We’ve seen improvements in his glucose control, improvements in his need for insulin, improvements in his ability to make insulin on his own in his body because those cells are there.”The study is continuing and will take five years, and involve 17 people with severe cases of Type 1 diabetes.
A sign of hope for the 1.5 million Americans living with Type 1 diabetes — a possible cure may be on the horizon.
For one man, it seems to have worked, and the research was done in Boston.
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Brian Shelton, of Elyria, Ohio, said Type 1 diabetes ruled his life.
When his blood sugar dropped, he would sometimes lose consciousness without warning.
Earlier this year, Shelton enrolled in a clinical trial through Vertex Pharmaceuticals.
In June, he received an infusion of cells, grown from stem cells just like the insulin-producing pancreas cells his body lacked.
Today, his body automatically controls its insulin and blood sugar levels.
“I feel like I got released from handcuffs,” Shelton said. “I’m not sitting here like, ‘where’s my orange juice? Where’s my pills? Where’s my shot?’ you know, it’s like I don’t need them.”
Shelton may be the first person cured of the disease with this treatment.
“Brian’s results are nothing short of remarkable,” said Felicia Pagliuca, of Vertex Pharmaceuticals. “We’ve seen improvements in his glucose control, improvements in his need for insulin, improvements in his ability to make insulin on his own in his body because those cells are there.”
The study is continuing and will take five years, and involve 17 people with severe cases of Type 1 diabetes.