Type 2 Diabetes

Type 2 diabetes, or T2D, is a metabolic condition in which the body becomes resistant to insulin, the hormone that helps move glucose from the bloodstream into cells for energy. Over time, the pancreas may also produce less insulin, leading to higher blood-sugar levels. Type 2 diabetes is associated with genetic factors, diet, stress, and physical inactivity, but it can occur in people at a range of body weights. Persistent high blood sugar can damage blood vessels, nerves, eyes, and kidneys and increase the risk of heart disease and neuropathy.

Common Symptoms

Standard care focuses on keeping blood sugar within a target range and reducing the risk of complications.

Standard Treatment Categories

• Lifestyle interventions: Nutrient-dense eating, regular physical activity, and stress management.
• Medication: Metformin, SGLT2 inhibitors, GLP-1 receptor agonists, and other medicines may be used when appropriate.
• Insulin therapy: Insulin may be added when other treatments do not provide sufficient blood-sugar control.
• Routine monitoring: Blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood glucose should be monitored as part of ongoing care.
• Weight management and bariatric surgery: These approaches may be considered in selected cases.

These treatments can help control blood sugar and reduce the risk of complications, but they do not directly regenerate damaged pancreatic tissue or fully reverse the underlying metabolic changes associated with type 2 diabetes.

Regenerative medicine is being studied as a potential approach to support metabolic function, reduce inflammation, and better understand pancreatic and vascular health in people with type 2 diabetes. Research includes umbilical-cord-tissue-derived mesenchymal stromal cells, or UCT-MSCs, and related biologic approaches.

What Researchers Are Studying

• Influence inflammation and oxidative stress associated with insulin resistance
• Support pancreatic beta-cell function and insulin secretion
• Affect glucose uptake in muscle and liver cells
• Be further evaluated for effects on microcirculation and diabetes-related complications

Cell-based and other biologic approaches remain distinct from established diabetes treatments and continue to be studied.

Note: Regenerative medicine therapies for type 2 diabetes are investigational and are not FDA-approved. Research findings do not guarantee individual results.

How Regenerative Medicine for Type 2 Diabetes Is Being Studied

Researchers are evaluating different cell products, doses, delivery methods, and treatment schedules. Studies assess blood-sugar measures, insulin sensitivity, pancreatic function, inflammatory markers, safety, and outcomes related to diabetes complications. This work is helping identify the approaches and patient groups that warrant continued clinical study. Stem cell treatment for type 2 diabetes remains investigational.

2022: UC-MSC Infusions Reported Improved Glycemic and Insulin-Requirement Findings

Efficacy and Safety of Umbilical Cord-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Chinese Adults With Type 2 Diabetes: A Single-Center, Double-Blinded, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Phase II Trial — Read Study

This single-center, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled phase II trial enrolled 91 Chinese adults with type 2 diabetes. Participants received three intravenous UC-MSC infusions or placebo at four-week intervals and were followed for 48 weeks. At 48 weeks, more participants in the UC-MSC group met the study’s combined endpoint of HbA1c below 7% and at least a 50% reduction in daily insulin use. The UC-MSC group also had larger reductions in HbA1c, lower insulin requirements, and improved measures of insulin sensitivity compared with the placebo group, and no major treatment-related adverse events were reported.

2021: Autologous BM-MSC Administration Reported Short-Term Glycemic Findings in Selected T2D Participants

Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Duration and Obesity Alter the Efficacy of Autologously Transplanted Bone Marrow-Derived Mesenchymal Stem/Stromal Cells — Read Study

This clinical study evaluated autologous bone-marrow-derived MSC administration in 30 people with type 2 diabetes who were randomly assigned to receive the cells either intravenously or through the dorsal pancreatic artery and were followed for 12 months. The investigators reported that the treatment was well tolerated. Participants who had lived with diabetes for less than 10 years and had a body mass index below 23 experienced short-term reductions in HbA1c and fasting blood glucose, while outcomes did not differ significantly between the two delivery methods.

2017: Autologous Bone-Marrow Cell Approaches Reported Insulin-Requirement Findings in Type 2 Diabetes

Efficacy of Autologous Bone Marrow-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cell and Mononuclear Cell Transplantation in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Comparative Study — Read Study

This randomized, placebo-controlled comparative study evaluated autologous bone-marrow-derived MSC and mononuclear-cell transplantation approaches in people with type 2 diabetes. The investigators assessed insulin requirements, blood sugar control, C-peptide levels, and insulin sensitivity. The study reported reductions in insulin requirements with the cell-based treatment approaches, adding to the clinical evidence that autologous bone-marrow cell therapies may help improve insulin needs and metabolic function in some people with type 2 diabetes.