The technique has only been tested in mice so far, but the results were positive. It took just a "matter of days" for implanted islets to produce insulin as well as the rodents' native cells.

If the research continues to bear fruit, though, it could offer a much more realistic solution for type 1 diabetes. Pancreas transplants can help, but they frequently fail and still require drugs that suppress your immune system. There are tests for safer and more targeted islet implants, but they still tend to require organs from dead donors. This breakthrough could lead to on-demand implants and make it relatively easy to gain (or regain) healthy insulin levels.