A Downingtown, Pennsylvania, family is racing to raise $45,000 by January 1 to fund an investigational Type 1 diabetes treatment for 15-year-old Preston. The Downingtown East High School student was diagnosed in January 2025, and his family is determined to secure the procedure before their two-year window of opportunity closes in early 2027.
The Financial Burden of Experimental Care
Preston’s mother, Melissa, has launched a GoFundMe campaign to cover the costs of the Stem Cell Educator Therapy, administered by Paramus, New Jersey-based Throne Biotechnologies. The procedure alone carries a $39,000 price tag. The remaining $6,000 of the target is earmarked for travel, lodging, meals, childcare, and lost wages. Securing a spot requires a $5,000 deposit. To date, the family has raised $2,770.
Inside the Stem Cell Educator Process
The therapy is not FDA-approved for the general treatment of Type 1 diabetes. While Throne Biotechnologies has received Regenerative Medicine Advanced Therapy (RMAT) designation—a status intended to accelerate development—this does not confirm the treatment’s safety or efficacy.
The method, developed by company president and CEO Dr. Yong Zhao, differs from traditional transplants. During apheresis, a patient’s white blood cells are circulated through a device containing human umbilical cord blood-derived multipotent stem cells (CB-SC). The immune cells interact with the CB-SC within the device before returning to the bloodstream; the stem cells themselves are never infused into the patient. The goal is to modify the abnormal immune response linked to the disease.
Early Findings and Safety Data
Throne Biotechnologies points to early-stage, open-label Phase 1 and Phase 2 studies involving 15 participants. The company reported that these patients showed changes in regulatory T cells and other immune markers, as well as improvements in C-peptide levels, HbA1c, and daily insulin requirements. However, the company cautions that these results do not guarantee identical outcomes for individual patients. The therapy is described as generally well-tolerated, with side effects primarily tied to the discomfort of the apheresis process.
Hoping for a Future Without Alarms
The family plans to move forward after a period of preparation and laboratory testing. While they recognize there are no guarantees, they hope the therapy might restore some insulin production and stabilize blood-sugar control. “We are hoping this treatment can give Preston a chance at a life that is less controlled by Type 1 diabetes,” Melissa said. “We know there are no guarantees, but we want to give Preston the opportunity to see what his life could look like with fewer of the constant highs, lows, alarms, injections, and worries that come with Type 1 diabetes.”