China: Type 1 Diabetes Insulin-Free?
A Chinese medical team in Shenzhen claims 30 type 1 diabetes patients discontinued insulin after an integrative medicine protocol [https://manilatimes.net/2026/03/12/tmt-newswire/globenewswire/chinese-medical-team-enables-30-type-1-diabetes-patients-to-discontinue-insulin-through-integrative-medicine/2298560]. Details are scarce, but it highlights growing interest in multimodal diabetes care.
The team, led by Dr. An Chiying at Shenzhen Hengsheng Hospital, used an integrative approach combining traditional Chinese and Western medicine. This protocol, applied to 70 patients over two years, achieved a "functional cure" in 24, allowing them to discontinue insulin with stable blood glucose. The hospital highlights this as a major advancement in autoimmune disease care. The "5R Gut Repair and Reconstruction Protocol" is central to the approach, focusing on removing, replacing, reinoculating, repairing, and rebalancing the gut microbiome. Functional medicine mass spectrometry revealed that 90% of type 1 diabetes patients had increased intestinal permeability, or "leaky gut". The treatment aims to restore immune homeostasis and block autoimmune responses. This integrative method differs from stem-cell-based therapies by focusing on halting the autoimmune attack on pancreatic β-cells to achieve functional remission. The approach integrates endocrinology, immunology, orthomolecular medicine, functional medicine, lifestyle medicine, and Traditional Chinese Medicine. Academician Fan Daiming called the findings a "bold challenge" to the belief that type 1 diabetes patients need lifelong insulin.
