LONDON, April 11 (Xinhua) -- Diabetics given stem-cell therapy have been able to stop taking insulin injections for the first time, after their bodies started to produce the hormone naturally again.

    Fifteen young patients with newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes were given drugs to suppress their immune systems followed by transfusions of stem cells drawn from their own blood. Results show that insulin-dependent diabetics can be freed from reliance on needles by an injection of their own stem cells, The Times newspaper reported on Wednesday.

    The new study carried out by a joint team of Brazilian and American scientists provides the first clinical evidence of the effectiveness of stem cells in fighting type 1 diabetes, the report said.

    The scientists enrolled Brazilian diabetics aged between 14 and 31 who had been diagnosed within the previous six weeks, from whose blood stem cells had been harvested. They underwent a mild dose of chemotherapy to eliminate the white blood cells causing damage to the pancreas, before being given transfusions of their own stem cells to help rebuild their immune systems.

    According to the scientists, 14 of the 15 patients were insulin-free for some time following the treatment and 11 of those were able to dispense with supplemental insulin immediately following the infusion of stem cells and have not had recourse to synthetic insulin since then.

    Two other patients needed some supplemental insulin for 12 and 20 months after the procedure, but eventually both were able to wean themselves off it.

    The therapy, known as autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, has already shown benefits to individuals with a range of autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn's disease and lupus.

    However the scientists said there are still question marks about exactly how the treatment works, and further studies will be required to fully evaluate its safety and efficacy.

    Type 1 diabetes occurs when the immune system malfunctions and destroys the insulin-producing beta cells of the pancreas, causing a shortage in the hormone. People with type 1 diabetes have to give themselves regular injections to control blood-sugar levels, as their ability to create the hormone naturally is destroyed by an immune disorder.

    Stem cells are immature, un-programmed cells that have the ability to grow into different kinds of tissue and can be sourced from people of all ages.

    Previous studies have suggested that stem-cell therapy offers huge potential for treating a variety of diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and motor neuron disease.