Type 1 diabetes researchers have long sought a treatment that would preserve and restore function to insulin-producing pancreatic beta cells. In type 1 diabetes, the patient’s own immune system destroys these beta cells. One hurdle researchers have faced is that any new cells created via beta cell replacement therapy might also be destroyed by the immune system. A recent team of researchers has tested whether they can get around this hurdle by reprogramming other cells to act as beta cells — cells that are similar enough to produce insulin, but different enough that the immune system won’t attack them. Read more