University of Chicago Trial Shows All 10 Type 1 Diabetes Patients Achieved Insulin Independence

A University of Chicago clinical trial has produced results that researchers are calling a potential turning point for type 1 diabetes treatment. All 10 initial participants in the trial achieved non-diabetic bloodwork and full insulin independence within four weeks of receiving the treatment.

The approach combines donor islet cell transplants with tegoprubart, an anti-rejection drug developed by Eledon Pharmaceuticals. Unlike traditional immunosuppressants, tegoprubart protects the transplanted islet cells without suppressing the entire immune system. That distinction matters because broad immune suppression carries serious side effects and has limited the usefulness of islet transplants in the past.

Eledon Pharmaceuticals has announced plans to meet with the FDA to discuss a path to market approval. The company has not yet released a timeline for broader clinical trials.

Type 1 diabetes affects roughly 2 million Americans. People with the condition cannot produce insulin and must manage blood sugar through daily injections or insulin pumps. A treatment that eliminates that dependency would represent a major shift in how the disease is managed.

Woman's World reported on the trial as part of its 2026 health breakthroughs coverage, noting that the results are preliminary and that larger trials will be needed before the treatment becomes widely available.

Researchers caution that islet cell transplants require a donor supply, which could limit how many patients can eventually access the therapy. Scientists are also exploring lab-grown islet cells as a potential solution to that constraint.