Novel Approaches Show Promise for Type 1 Diabetes, Sleep Improvement, and Aortic Aneurysm Treatment

Researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine have found that adding blood vessel-forming cells to pancreatic islet transplants enhances the survival of insulin-producing cells, potentially reversing type 1 diabetes. This method, detailed in Science Advances, could eliminate the need for immunosuppressants and improve transplant effectiveness. In mice, reprogrammed vascular endothelial cells (R-VECs) facilitated rapid connection to host blood circulation, improving insulin cell survival and function. Lettuce is emerging as a natural sleep aid, with historical use dating back to ancient civilizations. Modern research identifies compounds like lactucarium, lactucin, and lactucopicrin in lettuce, which have sedative and pain-relieving effects. Lettuce can reduce sleep onset time and improve sleep quality without the side effects of prescription medications. In other research, scientists from CIBER, IR Sant Pau, and IIBB-CSIC discovered that inhibiting the 'ACLY' enzyme could protect against the worsening of abdominal aortic aneurysms. The study, published in Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy, showed that using bempedoic acid, a medication for lowering high cholesterol, reduces inflammation and protects against aneurysm formation in an experimental model.