Are stem cells a cure for diabetes?

Abstract

With the already heightened demand placed on organ donation, stem cell therapy has become a tantalizing idea to provide glucose-responsive insulin-producing cells to Type 1 diabetic patients as an alternative to islet transplantation. Multiple groups have developed varied approaches to create a population of cells with the appropriate characteristics. Both adult and embryonic stem cells have received an enormous amount of attention as possible sources of insulin-producing cells. Although adult stem cells lack the pluripotent nature of their embryonic counterparts, they appear to avoid the ethical debate that has centred around the latter. This may limit the eventual application of embryonic stem cells, which have already shown promise in early mouse models. One must also consider the potential of stem cells to form teratomas, a complication which would prove devastating in an immunologically compromised transplant recipient. The present review looks at the progress to date in both the adult and embryonic stem cells fields as potential treatments for diabetes. We also consider some of the limitations of stem cell therapy and the potential complications that may develop with their use.

Mesenchymal Stem Cell Therapy in Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus and Its Main Complications: From Experimental Findings to Clinical Practice

“…Transplanted patients have to undergo life-long nonspecific immunosuppressive regimens to avoid transplanted organs becoming rejected and thus hindering this therapy's widespread use [9]. Such difficulties have led researchers to search for other sources of glucose-responsive insulin-producing cells; strategies based on different types of stem cell seem to be the most promising ones to date [10].…”

A Novel Pre-Vascularized Subcutaneous Site Safely Accommodates Stem Cell Derived Therapies for Treating Diabetes

“…One of the main limitations for the use of hESC is the inherit risk for teratoma transformation [7]. This is one of the rationales for using alternative transplant sites like the DL technique where a dysfunctional/transforming graft may be easily retrieved.…”

“…The focus is now on optimizing the existing differentiation protocols to allow for a successful and stable diabetes reversal. However, finding the most efficient transplant site remains a dilemma given the infusion volume needed at the time of transplant and the potential need for graft retrieval in the event of tumor formation [7,8]. These reasons are a deterrent to use the conventional intra portal route for this transplantation modality.…”

Physicians’ Preference towards Stem Cells as Regenerative Medicine-Lacks Clarity

“…Considerable population travel to receive these unproven therapies [13]. With these strategies around the patients follow, there are worthy publications mentioning the use of stem cells as a cure for diabetes [14][15][16] which again cohort people to get overwhelmed with these unconvincing instincts. Experts have also been questioning whether stand-alone embryonic stem cell research organizations are still required [17] but there has been arguments existing in this context mentioning about too many inconsistencies between ES research organizations that worry about filling in the expertise gap would disappear [17].…”