A man with type 1 diabetes has been told by doctors he has a rare type of gene which explains why he no longer needs to rely on insulin to control his condition. Daniel Darkes, from Daventry in Northamptonshire, discovered he had type 1 in 2010 shortly after leaving the Army. He started using insulin, but he stopped with the daily injections earlier this year when tests showed his blood sugar levels were below average/average to low.
His healthcare team were puzzled as to why his body no longer required the insulin injections and so he travelled to America where tests were carried out on him. Mr Darkes, known as “Miracle Dan” to his friends, returned to Northampton where his results have since been analysed. Speaking to the Chronicle and Echo newspaper, he said: “My tests indicated that doctors found a rare gene in my results and that has acted as a ‘backup’ immune system. This has led to insulin being reproduced in my pancreas. “The gene has basically recharged my immune system and pancreas, kicking into action beta cells which have laid dormant for the time I have had type 1.
The consultants haven’t ruled out the possibility that me staying active and running was the trauma or shock which triggered the healing process. Prior to the tests, doctors estimated the probability of Mr Darkes’ miraculous recovery being genuine at 80 percent. Since the diabetes community have eagerly awaited further updates about his condition in the hope that a cure for type 1 diabetes may have been developed.
This discovery is believed to hold future treatment of TYPE 1 DIABETES through genetic mapping and stem cell therapy.