Dr. Cristina Nostro and other researchers at UHN believe that within a few years they will be able to start clinical trials on insulin-producing cells from stem cells. (Video: UHN)
"It sucks". That was Joey Lavers reaction to his Type 1 diabetes diagnosis at age 14.
The "sucks" part for Joey is the relentless daily burden of painful needle pricks to monitor his blood sugar, and injections of life-saving insulin.
Now aged 19, Joey is buoyed by the research of UHN's Dr. Cristina Nostro and her colleagues at the McEwen Centre for Regenerative Medicine.
Dr. Nostro has successfully developed insulin-producing cells from stem cells in her lab. With that success in the lab, Dr. Nostro is predicting human clinical trials within the next few years.
"It's exciting," says Joey, who says he'll even offer to be a "guinea pig" for the trial.