Chinese medical team enables 30 type 1 diabetes patients to discontinue insulin through integrative medicine

SHENZHEN, China, March 12, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- On March 10, 2026, the team led by Dr. An Chiying at Shenzhen Hengsheng Hospital, affiliated with Shanghai Fosun Health, publicly announced that through an innovative integrative medical approach, they have successfully enabled 30 patients with type 1 diabetes to achieve functional remission, allowing them to completely discontinue lifelong insulin therapy. To date, this represents the largest reported clinical dataset worldwide demonstrating functional remission in type 1 diabetes.

In June 2024, Dr. An Chiying’s team achieved the first case of functional remission of type 1 diabetes using an integrative medicine strategy. This milestone marks a major clinical breakthrough for China’s integrative medicine in the field of type 1 diabetes reversal and provides new insights into potential therapeutic pathways for the disease.

Breaking the Conventional Paradigm: From Lifelong Dependence to Functional Cure

Professor An’s team departed from the traditional model of single-modality insulin replacement therapy and developed an integrative strategy centered on:

Immune blockade + β-cell redifferentiation + multisystem restoration

The core of this approach lies in precisely identifying and intervening in the dual pathogenic mechanisms of Type 1 diabetes: autoimmune destruction of pancreatic β-cells and dysregulated glucose metabolism.

The treatment model integrates multidisciplinary expertise from endocrinology and metabolic medicine, immunology, orthomolecular medicine, functional medicine, lifestyle medicine, and evidence-based Traditional Chinese medical techniques, creating a comprehensive pathway aimed at restoring systemic health.

Unlike stem-cell-based regenerative islet transplantation therapies currently under clinical investigation worldwide, this integrative therapy focuses on interrupting autoimmune attack against pancreatic β-cells to achieve functional remission. Through β-cell redifferentiation, the protocol seeks to reactivate and repair residual endogenous islet function, aiming toward structural restoration.

A key mechanistic finding emerged from functional medicine mass spectrometry analysis: approximately 90% of patients with Type 1 diabetes were found to exhibit increased intestinal permeability (“leaky gut”), as indicated by positive serum zonulin levels.

The team implemented a structured “5R Gut Repair and Reconstruction Protocol” - Remove, Replace, Reinoculate, Repair, and Rebalance - to restore immune homeostasis and block autoimmune β-cell destruction.

Once immune attack was effectively interrupted, metabolic interventions were applied to promote β-cell redifferentiation and activate residual islet cell function, ultimately restoring endogenous, physiological glycemic regulation.

Significant Clinical Outcomes: 30 Patients Regain “Glucose Freedom”

As of March 2026, the team has assisted 30 patients in completely discontinuing insulin therapy, with substantial improvements in quality of life. These individuals achieved what is medically defined as a functional cure-maintenance of normal glucose metabolism without exogenous insulin.

On June 16, 2024, the team began treating its first pediatric case: an 11-year-old patient requiring four daily insulin injections prior to intervention. Following integrative therapy, the patient discontinued insulin for 21 months. Fasting glucose, postprandial glucose, HbA1c, and growth parameters are all within normal ranges, and fasting C-peptide levels have recovered to near-normal values.

A 10-year-old patient (pseudonym: Xiaohan) has been stop exogenous insulin for 15 months. Before treatment, he required multiple daily injections and lived with constant fear of glycemic instability. Today, his fasting glucose, postprandial glucose, and HbA1c remain consistently within normal ranges, and he has resumed eating staple carbohydrates.

In December 2025, Santi, a 53-year-old patient from Spain with a 43-year history of Type 1 diabetes, sought treatment after entering a brittle diabetes phase. Prior to intervention, he required four injections per day totaling 50 units, with blood glucose levels described as being on the verge of collapse.

After traveling twice from Europe to Shenzhen for treatment under Professor An’s team:

Insulin regimen reduced to once weekly
Average daily insulin dosage reduced to 25 units (50% reduction)
IDAA1c reached target levels
Significant improvement in energy and physical stamina
Improvement in diabetic nephropathy indicators

In an interview, Santi stated:

“My pancreatic β-cell function had long been considered exhausted. I did not expect to discontinue insulin entirely. After treatment with the Chinese integrative medical team, I reduced from four injections per day to one per week. My insulin dosage was cut in half, my energy and strength improved markedly, and several complication indicators have improved. For the first time in decades, I feel freed from the heavy burden of Type 1 diabetes complications. I am deeply grateful to Professor An’s team for bringing new hope to patients worldwide.”

The statistics of An Chiying's team showed that a total of 100 patients were intervened, and 30 patients successfully discontinued insulin (fasting C-peptide value > 0.5ng/ml before intervention), and the other 70 patients (fasting C-peptide value < 0.5ng/ml before intervention) the average insulin dosage decreased by 40%, 85% improvement in IDAA1c target attainment, the TIR value increased, the CV value decreased, the disfibronectin turned negative, the quality of life was greatly improved, and the risk of complications was greatly reduced through the integrative medicine intervention.

A university student undergoing treatment remarked:

“I no longer need to hide when injecting insulin. I can finally face life with confidence.”

Professor An emphasized that therapeutic success depends on precise identification of the optimal treatment window. Through zonulin testing and comprehensive biomarker monitoring, the team distinguishes transient “honeymoon phase” remission from durable functional cure, ensuring long-term sustainability of outcomes. She noted that the integrative model moves beyond single-drug dependency, rebuilding patients’ health foundations through gut repair, immune modulation, and metabolic reconstruction.

Industry Impact and Future Outlook

This reported breakthrough has attracted significant attention within the global endocrinology community. At the China Social Healthcare New Ecosystem Conference held in December 2025, the 30 cases of functional remission presented by Dr. An Chiying’s team were regarded by attending endocrinology experts as the largest clinical dataset of functional remission in Type 1 diabetes reported at that time. The findings were widely viewed as a milestone achievement, marking an important step forward by a Chinese physician-led team in this field of research.

Experts noted that this work may signal a meaningful shift in the therapeutic paradigm for Type 1 diabetes—from a model centered primarily on passive insulin replacement toward strategies emphasizing immune modulation and functional restoration of metabolic regulation.

At this pivotal moment in medical progress, the experiences of these 30 individuals who regained independence from insulin therapy convey a powerful message: Type 1 diabetes need not define the course of a person’s life. Advances in integrative medical approaches may open new therapeutic horizons. This Chinese clinical pathway not only reframes the global dialogue surrounding diabetes and quality of life, but also rekindles hope in the ongoing effort to confront this century-old disease.

Media Contact
Company Name: Shanghai Fosun Group-Shenzhen Hang Seng Hospital
Contact Person: An chiying
Email: anchiying@hsyy.com.cn
WhatsAPP: +852-65901777
Phone: +86-755-27796031
City: Shenzhen
Country: China
Website: https://www.hsyy.com.cn/

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/422c4e90-f58a-49d3-9afb-ad5c8800a42b

Chinese medical team enables 30 type 1 diabetes patients to discontinue insulin through integrative medicine

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