Efficacy and Safety of Autologous Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation in Treating Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus

The study evaluated the efficacy and safety of autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in 18 newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes mellitus patients. The treatment involved using cyclophosphamide and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor to mobilize stem cells, followed by immunosuppression and stem cell reinfusion. Results showed that 67% of patients stopped using insulin post-transplant, with 44.4% remaining insulin-free. The remaining patients reduced insulin use by an average of 67.3%. GAD-Ab levels decreased significantly, with a 33.3% seroconversion rate. C-peptide levels increased post-transplant, maintaining for 1 year. Adverse effects included gastrointestinal reactions, hair loss, fever, and bone marrow suppression, but no significant organ damage was observed. The study concluded that this treatment had a certain efficacy and high safety for patients with residual islet function, though further research on the mechanism was needed.