The leading cause of kidney failure in both Thailand and Korea
Quick answer
Diabetic nephropathy comes from chronic hyperglycaemia damaging the kidney's capillaries, causing protein leakage and fibrosis. Care still rests on glucose and blood pressure control, SGLT2 inhibitors and ACEi/ARB. Stem cell infusion is an investigational adjunct aimed at inflammation and fibrosis, never a substitute for diabetes control.
Diabetics with early albuminuria gain the most from aggressive treatment. SGLT2 inhibitors have shown significant reductions in kidney disease progression — a level of evidence cell therapy does not yet match.
Mechanistically, MSCs are studied for damping the chronic low-grade inflammation of diabetes and reducing fibrosis-producing cell activity in renal tissue. Most of that work remains animal studies and small human trials.
A group-specific caution: infection risk and slow healing. Poorly controlled diabetics face higher risk from any procedure, so teams usually require HbA1c within an acceptable range before considering any programme.
No. Stopping medication raises glucose and accelerates kidney decline.
Targets are individualised by age and comorbidity; broadly, better control means lower renal risk.
Yes, it correlates with slower progression, but read it alongside eGFR.
It depends on stage and nutritional status; have a dietitian calculate it rather than cutting protein blindly.
Renal mechanisms are similar, but insulin management and hypoglycaemia risk differ — plan with an endocrinologist.
5 points • reviewed 2026-09-02
Reviewed and last updated: 2026-09-02
5 sources • every claim is traceable
https://www.ehlbio.co.kr
https://www.mfds.go.kr/eng/index.do
https://www.mohw.go.kr/eng/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/
https://www.medicalkorea.or.kr/
Last updated: 2026-09-02 · This content is for information only and is not medical advice. Consult a qualified doctor before making treatment decisions.
Back to categories