Beta cells make insulin. Beta cells stop multiplying after the age of 30. People with type 1 diabetes do not produce beta cells and people with type 2 diabetes do not produce enough beta cells.
The one thing researchers and scientist have not been able to determine is if beta cells can replicate after birth. Logically speaking if a baby is born without diabetes the answer to the question would be yes beta cells do reproduce after birth. However, seeing how there is no proof and no one has found a way to proof that beats cells do replicate after birth it is an unknown factor in how diabetes progresses. Until researchers are able to find out if the beta cells do or do not replicate diabetes treatments are limited to what we have now. Of course, compared to a few decades ago the advances in treatments have greatly improved.
Once researchers are able to determine how beta cells replicate and multiple and any underlying factors that can contribute to the early end of the cells replicating finding a cure for diabetes will be one-step closer.
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