As the father of a young girl with type 1 diabetes, Charles Plueddeman clings to the hope that the disease will be cured.
Until then, Plueddeman will continue to closely monitor research and keep tabs on medical breakthroughs that can improve the quality of life of those who are afflicted with diabetes. That includes his 10-year-old daughter, Mabel, a fifth-grader from Oshkosh who has been living with the disease since age 2.
Plueddeman was encouraged to hear about a study that is under way at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. A UW student became the first patient in Wisconsin to enroll in a research study aimed at learning if an infusion of experimental stem cells â?? known as mesenchymal cells â?? will limit the intensity and scope of his newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes.