Abstract
Beta cell mass and function are decreased to varying degrees in diabetes. Islet cell replacement or regenerative therapy may offer great therapeutic promise to people with diabetes. In addition to primary pancreatic β cells, recent studies on regeneration of functional insulin producing cells (IPCs) revealed that several alternative cell sources, including embryonic stem cells, induced pluripotent stem cells and adult stem cells, can generate IPCs by differentiation, reprogramming, and trans-differentiation. In this review, we discuss stem cells as a potential alternative cell source for the treatment of diabetes.
Highlights
Diabetes mellitus is a glucose metabolism disorder that is caused by insulin secretion deficiency or dysfunction, and is characterized by the elevation of blood glucose
Diabetes is divided into three categories. (i) Type I diabetes (T1DM) is an autoimmune endocrine disease mediated by T cells
It is generally believed that immune dysfunction is the main pathogenesis of T1DM, and that T1DM has a strong genetic predisposition
Summary
Since insulin was first discovered and isolated in 1920, exogenous insulin replacement has become the main treatment for the control of plasma glucose levels. Pancreas transplantation may be used as a cell replacement therapy to compensate for the loss of cell function. Even though pancreas transplantation and islet transplantation are not the conventional treatment for diabetes mellitus, successful transplantation of cells has resulted in a new breakthrough in stem cell therapy. Stem cell therapy has the following advantages for the treatment of diabetes mellitus It is not limited by the donor source, and can provide a long-term source for functional cells. Stem cell-derived islet cells can avoid allograft rejection, thereby reducing the necessity for immunosuppressive therapy. They are capable of secreting a variety of cytokines and improving the local microenvironment of pancreatic lesions, thereby improving the prognosis. The stem cells used for cell replacement include pancreatic stem cells, hepatic stem cells, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), embryonic stem cells (ESCs), and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs)
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