Have China Really Cured Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes?
Key takeaways:
- No, China has not effectively cured type 1 or type 2 diabetes. However, it has had success with stem cell treatments making some patients insulin-independent.
- This achievement is significant for science and brings hope, but it is based on individual cases, not large scale cures.
- The treatment is not available as routine treatment and is still under research.
- Even though such a cure is not yet available, there are plenty of existing treatments that can manage diabetes effectively.
- Stay wary of stem cell treatment scams and always consult with a trusted health professional.
Diabetes news has been buzzing with bold claims lately – especially around the idea that China have “cured” Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes using stem cell treatments. If you or someone you love lives with diabetes, it is completely understandable to feel a mix of hope, excitement and scepticism.
In this blog, we unpack what has actually happened in China, what it means for people with diabetes today, and why – despite some genuinely exciting breakthroughs – China have not cured Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes.
At Gluco Journey, our mission is to support you in managing your diabetes safely and confidently, while also helping you understand new developments in research so you can tell solid science from misleading headlines.
China Have Apparently Cured Diabetes – Is That True?
No, China has not cured Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes.
What has happened is this:
- Chinese researchers have reported individual cases where people with diabetes – both Type 1 and Type 2 – have become insulin-independent after receiving experimental stem cell-based treatments.
- These are ground-breaking, early-stage successes in just a very small number of people, not large-scale, proven cures.
- Experts and diabetes charities stress that one or two successful cases are not enough to call this a cure or to make it widely available yet.
Reports in outlets such as NDTV and Business Standard describe how a person with Type 2 diabetes in China stopped needing insulin and diabetes medications after receiving stem cell-derived beta cells transplanted into their abdomen, restoring natural insulin production. This was widely described as the first reported reversal of Type 2 diabetes using this approach.
NDTV, 2025
Business Standard, 2025
In a separate case, a 25‑year‑old woman with Type 1 diabetes received insulin-producing cells made from her own reprogrammed stem cells. Within a few months, she came off insulin injections and remained insulin-independent for over a year, with blood sugars in range 98% of the time.
Cells4Life, 2025
Diabetes UK – Type 1 cures hot topic
You may see words like “cure” or “diabetes reversed” in media headlines about these cases. But when diabetes experts and research charities talk about a cure, they mean a safe, reliable treatment that works for large numbers of people over the long term and we are not there yet.
