The Human Trial, a story of desperation of Type 1 Diabetes patients
The Human Trial chronicles the stories of two patients living with an exhausting lifelong condition, Type 1 Diabetes. Patients start with subtle signs and symptoms which can become severe. Symptoms usually include extreme thirst, increased hunger, dry mouth, upset stomach and vomiting, frequent urination, unexplained weight loss, fatigue, blurry vision, heavy and labored breathing, frequent infections of the skin, urinary tract, or vagina, crankiness, and bed wetting in a child who has been dry at night.
The Human Trial calls for this overdue cure.
Documentarians Lisa Hepner and Guy Mossman followed Maren Badger and Greg Romero who put themselves forward as guinea pigs for a potential solution, a radical stem cell trial to cure their Type 1 Diabetes. The moviemakers kept tabs on the patients who allowed themselves to have modules that release stem cells implanted in them over the course of several years. The movie remains blunt in presenting the patients’ emotional ups and downs. It also shows off their desperation and frustration during the clinical trial.
Still, the question is raised: Is there a cure for Type 1 Diabetes?
Insulin is a hormone that helps move sugar, or glucose, into the body’s tissues. Cells use it as fuel. Damage to beta cells from Type 1 Diabetes throws the entire process off. Glucose, then, doesn’t move into the cells because insulin isn’t there to do the job. Instead, it builds up in the blood, and cells starve. This causes high blood sugar, which can lead to dehydration, extreme weight loss, diabetic ketoacidosis, and damage to the body.
Right now, there is no cure for diabetes. So, people with Type 1 Diabetes will need treatment for the rest of their lives. The good news is that sticking to the plan can help people feel healthy and avoid diabetes problems later. Although there is no cure, it has long been thought probable. There is strong evidence that type 1 diabetes happens when an individual with a certain combination of genes comes into contact with a particular environmental influence.
So, The Human Trial gives a little bit of hope for those with Type 1 Diabetes.
