A startup that wants to treat type 1 diabetes raised $114 million. Semma Therapeutics is researching ways to use stem cells that act like key cells that regulate blood sugar levels in the bodies of healthy people. Their main goal is to cure type 1 diabetes. Semma Therapeutics wants to use the money to get their treatment, which was previously tested on animals, into human trials.
Treating diabetes is straight forward, if you find a way to replace the beta cells in the body, the body would produce its own insulin.
Business Insider sums up the works of Semma creator, “Semma wants to take that a step further by going in and replacing the beta cells that the body’s mistakenly destroyed. That way, the beta cells could create insulin when needed directly within the body. It’s based on the work of Doug Melton at the Harvard Stem Cell Institute, who’s the scientific founder of Semma. The company’s name comes from Melton’s kids, Sam and Emma, who both have type 1 diabetes.”
Semma Therapeutics wants to make dealing with diabetes less difficult and extensive. The current treatments for type one diabetes patients deal with using an insulin pump or multiple daily injections. Many people with diabetes face a lifetime of disease management and very significant complications.
