Douglas Melton
Stem-cell-derived insulin cells for diabetes · b. 1953
Douglas Melton's group developed a scalable differentiation protocol that generated glucose-responsive beta-like cells from human pluripotent stem cells in vitro. The 2014 study reported cellular characteristics and glucose-regulated insulin secretion in laboratory and mouse experiments, advancing a potential source for diabetes research and product development.
This preclinical platform did not itself establish a marketed cure or durable insulin independence in people. Clinical products derived from pluripotent cells require separate evidence for identity, dose, delivery, immune protection or immunosuppression, safety and patient outcomes. See the 2014 Cell paper.
Most clinical uses of stem cells remain investigational — check the evidence and approval status for your condition before acting on any clinic's claims.