New groundbreaking research, published in Science Translational Medicine, reports on a therapeutic combination that regenerated human insulin-producing beta cells. This offers a potential new treatment for diabetes. Led by researchers from Mount Sinai Health System and City of Hope, the study combined harmine, a natural product found in some plants, with GLP1 receptor agonists. This resulted in a 700 percent increase in human beta cell numbers over three months in diabetic mice.
The study marks the first time scientists have developed a drug treatment proven to increase adult human beta cell numbers in vivo. Clearly, such results bring hope for future regenerative therapies for diabetes. Looking ahead, the research team has already completed a phase 1 clinical trial of harmine in healthy volunteers. They are also planning first-in-human trials with next-generation DYRK1A inhibitors next year. Additionally, researchers are exploring combining beta cell regeneration inducers with immunomodulators. This will address the immune system’s destruction of new beta cells in type 1 diabetes patients.