Led by professor An Chiying and her medical team from Shenzhen Hengsheng Hospital, this method combines traditional Chinese and western medicine to achieve a functional cure, recording the longest duration of insulin discontinuation of up to 14 months.

In a statement, the hospital said the breakthrough offers new hope for global type-1 diabetes treatment, and marks a remarkable advance in integrated Chinese and western medicine for autoimmune diseases.

An said functional cure enables the partial restoration of islet function sufficient to meet daily metabolic needs. Islets are clusters of cells produced within the pancreas.

Over a two-year clinical observation period, the team applied the HIM model, blending traditional Chinese medicine, orthomolecular medicine, functional medicine, and lifestyle medicine, as well as precision digital health monitoring, to 70 type-1 diabetes patients.

Of those, 24 patients (34%) achieved a functional cure, maintaining stable blood glucose levels without reliance on exogenous insulin.

The protocol uses precision diagnostics, artificial intelligence-driven monitoring, immune regulation, and metabolic repair strategies. Patients typically undergo a three- to five-day hospital stay before continuing outpatient follow-up and dietary management.

Academician Fan Daiming of the Chinese Academy of Engineering called the findings a bold challenge to the long-standing belief that type-1 patients must rely on insulin for life. He praised the HIM model as a promising new paradigm in autoimmune disease care.

Globally, there are approximately nine million affected by type-1 diabetes and associated healthcare costs. The widespread adoption of HIM programmes could significantly reduce the financial and health burdens on patients.