β cell regeneration and novel strategies for treatment of diabetes (Review).

Abstract

The etiology of diabetes is primarily attributed to the lack of functioning β cells, which in-turn leads to insulin deficiency or insulin resistance, and this ultimately leads to β cell dysfunction. Restoring the number and function of β cells is an effective means of improving or even curing diabetes. β cell regeneration is a potential method for increasing the number of functioning β cells. In addition to self-duplication of pancreatic β cells, β cells can be regenerated from embryonic stem cells, human induced pluripotent stem cells and pancreatic stem cells. Based on these mechanisms, proliferation and differentiation into functional β cells in vitro is one of the most promising strategies for treatment of diabetes. Although β cell regeneration has significant potential in the treatment of insulin-deficient diabetes, and significant progress has been made in this regard, there remains challenges which prevent its use in the clinic.