A Waikato woman is behind "ground-breaking" research she says could lead to the cure of type 1 diabetes within a year if funding can be found.
Matamata-based Noela Vallis, president of the New Zealand Spinal Cord Society, said stem-cell therapy being developed in the organisation's Dunedin laboratory had potential to cure the auto-immune disease that affects more than 20,000 New Zealanders.
Diabetes leads to a buildup of glucose in the bloodstream, which, untreated, can lead to dehydration and cause diabetics to go into a coma.
The trials, led by Dr Jim Faed and scientist Dr Paul Turner, focus on a gradual recovery of insulin in patients by suppressing the body's auto-immune response.
To do that, scientists remove a small amount of the patient's bone marrow and use it to grow stem cells in the laboratory to activate immune-suppressing properties.
The activated cells are then infused back into the patient, converting aggressive cells to passive cells.
Dr Turner said a Chinese-American study, published earlier this year, proved stem cells could be used to help turn off aggressive auto-immune responses.
"The results were astonishing. After 12 weeks all treated patients were making their own insulin in larger amounts."
But Mrs Vallis said they needed further funding to make sure Kiwis could reap the rewards of that trial.
She's teamed up with the Waikato Chamber of Commerce and Hamilton Central Business Association to ask for donations to further fund the research.