HSCI's leadership in finding a cure for type 1 diabetes is widely recognized, from the halls of Congress to national media. In 2007, Dr. Douglas Melton, HSCI's Co-Director, was named by Time magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in the world. Melton was nominated by U.S. Senator Orrin Hatch, of Utah. In February 2009, Time magazine also published a cover feature on the state of stem cell science, "How the Coming Revolution in Stem Cells Could Save Your Life." The article focused largely on the achievements of Dr. Melton and other HSCI faculty.

The Harvard Stem Cell Institute's overall aim is to use the power of stem cell biology to understand and ultimately treat selected diseases and conditions. Achieving this will require advances on many levels, from basic biology to patient delivery systems. The Harvard community, comprising the university and its 11 affiliated hospitals and research institutions, features the largest concentration of stem cell researchers in the world.

http://www.hsci.harvard.edu

Scientists in Doug Melton's laboratory are pursuing three complementary approaches aimed at making new beta cells for diabetics: directed differentiation of stem cells, direct reprogramming of one differentiated cell into another cell type, and replication of insulin producing cells. Using the information gained from studying the normal development of the pancreas, their work has focused on identifying the factors that could transform human embryonic stem cells in the laboratory into pancreatic beta cells that secrete insulin. In a major step forward, Melton and his team used direct reprogramming to turn mouse exocrine cells from the pancreas into these insulin-producing beta cells.

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Art of the Cure for Juvenile Diabetes, Inc. is a registered 501(c) (3) non-profit organization. All donations are tax deductible as permitted by law.