Will there ever be a cure?

Will there ever be a cure?


It's a hot topic on D forums and blogs.  I think I most often see people say something like, "Probably, but not in my lifetime."

I'm not a naive and wishful thinker, but I'm not as jaded as a lot of veteran PWDs yet.  I haven't heard the repeated "just 5 more years" from multiple doctors.  In fact, I haven't heard that even once from a doctor (and I'm glad, because I don't think there's any way they can promise something like that right now).

My point is, I think it'll happen.  I don't actually know when, but I wouldn't be shocked at all if it happens in my lifetime.  (Not shocked, but ecstatic!)  If an actual cure doesn't happen, I am confident that diabetes care will be improved so significantly that it will almost be as good as a cure.  Maybe we won't get our beta cells back, but maybe we'll only have to give ourselves one or two injections a day to achieve healthy, steady blood sugar levels.  (I'm looking at you, SmartCells Inc.)  Or maybe someone will figure out how we can be given new beta cells that our immune systems won't attack on sight. (Russia, bravo for fearlessly exploring that frontier!  And you scientists at Washington School of Medicine, keep it up!!!)  Or maybe after the artificial pancreas becomes a reality that can be continually improved upon, someone will also develop an even faster acting insulin to pair with it, and that artificial pancreas will be developed to the point where it can function real-time based entirely on the rise and fall of blood glucose (with no need to enter carb values or temporary basal rates).

I just see so many promising ideas.  Any of these could be the development to change the lives of PWDs forever.  Maybe no one is going to hand me a pill that will cure my diabetes next year, but I do think I'll be given some life-changing treatment options in my lifetime.