"I Feel Free": The First Woman Cured of Type 1 Diabetes via Muscle Injection

Patient Stories · 4 · March 21, 2026

!Woman Healthy Lifestyle

Where you put the cells matters. Historically, islet transplants went into the liver. It works, but it's hard to monitor and impossible to remove if something goes wrong.

A team at Peking University tried something different: The Abdominal Muscle.

The Case Study

The patient, a 25-year-old woman from Tianjin, had struggled with brittle Type 1 diabetes. In a world-first procedure, doctors injected chemically induced pluripotent stem cells (CiPSC) directly into the muscle tissue of her abdomen.

Why Muscle?

• Accessibility: It's essentially a shot. No major surgery.
• Monitoring: Doctors can scan the site easily to see if cells are alive.
• Safety: If there's an issue (like a tumor), the tissue can be easily removed.

The Outcome

One year later, she is completely insulin-free. "I can eat sugar. I can enjoy hotpot. I feel free," she told reporters. Her continuous glucose monitor (CGM) shows a flat, healthy line—the holy grail for any diabetic.

This technique suggests that future diabetes cures might be as simple as an outpatient injection, performed in a regular clinic rather than a specialized surgical center.