Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease in which cellular immunity attacks pancreatic islet beta cells, causing them to fail to secrete insulin. Previous studies have shown that the use of moderate amounts of immunosuppressants in patients with newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes can prevent further islet cell damage, thereby reducing exogenous insulin dosage. Voltarelli et al. from the University of São Paulo, Brazil, found that autologous non-cleared myeloid hematopoietic stem cell transplantation combined with high doses of immunosuppressants could treat newly diagnosed type 1 diabetic patients with an acceptable range of toxicity. After receiving treatment, the vast majority of patients had increased pancreatic beta-cell function and prolonged insulin independence. The study included 15 patients aged 14 to 31 years who were diagnosed with type 1 diabetes within the last 6 months in Brazil locally between November 2003 and July 2006, excluding those with ketoacidosis. These patients underwent autologous non-myeloablative hematopoietic stem cell transplantation after immunosuppressive therapy. The study was followed up for 7 to 36 months (mean 18.8 months). The results showed that 14 patients were free from exogenous insulin during the follow-up period. The time off exogenous insulin reached 35 months in 1 patient, 21 months in 4 patients, and at least 6 months in 7 patients, while the other 2 patients had a longer response time after receiving the transplant and were insulin-free for 1 month and 5 months, respectively. Serum glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels were maintained at less than 7% in 13 of these 14 patients. Adverse effects included one case of bilateral pneumonia and two cases of endocrine disorders. The researchers cautioned that it is unclear how long the therapy’s efficacy will last or how safe it is. In his review, Dr. Skyler of the Diabetes Research Institute at Miller University School of Medicine in Miami, USA, noted some of the study’s shortcomings, such as the lack of a randomized control group and insufficient follow-up time to observe long-term outcomes. But he also affirmed the significance of the results in diabetes cell therapy – the first approach in this category to stop the progression of type 1 diabetes. Building on this, he believes that future research will be able to make the dream of a cure for type 1 diabetes come true.