Stem cells and diabetes

Abstract

Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic syndrome characterized by increased levels of blood glucose. Type 1 diabetic patients and patients with Type 2 diabetes suffering from defective insulin secretion rely on lifelong substitution with exogenous administration of insulin. Whole pancreas and purified pancreatic islet transplantation have offered the potential for independence from insulin injections. A major obstacle, however, is the limited supply of cadaveric human islets. Success in islet transplantation-based therapies for Type 1 diabetes, coupled with a worldwide shortage of transplant-ready islets, has motivated efforts to develop renewable sources of islet-replacement tissues. Stem cells offer the greatest potential for the development of an abundant source of pancreatic islets. Insulin-producing cells for transplantation can be generated from both embryonic and adult stem cells. Before stem cell therapeutic strategies for diabetes mellitus can be transferred to clinical application in humans, stem cell biologists have to address several pressing issues related to appropriate differentiation protocols, functional aspects of insulin secretion, its regulation, cell-maturation processes and control of proliferation, along with ethical norms and safety.