Open AccessBioengineered stem cells as an alternative for islet cell transplantation
Author(s) -
Sarah Moore,
Boris Gala-López,
Andrew R. Pepper,
Rena Pawlick,
AM James Shapiro
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
world journal of transplantation
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2220-3230
DOI - 10.5500/wjt.v5.i1.1
Subject(s) - transplantation , islet , regenerative medicine , stem cell , embryonic stem cell , medicine , type 1 diabetes , immunology , diabetes mellitus , bioinformatics , intensive care medicine , cancer research , biology , endocrinology , microbiology and biotechnology , biochemistry , gene
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune and increasingly prevalent condition caused by immunological destruction of beta cells. Insulin remains the mainstay of therapy. Endeavours in islet transplantation have clearly demonstrated that type 1 diabetes is treatable by cellular replacement. Many challenges remain with this approach. The opportunity to use bioengineered embryonic or adult pluripotential stem cells, or islets derived from porcine xenograft sources could address future demands, but are still associated with considerable challenges. This detailed review outlines current progress in clinical islet transplantation, and places this in perspective for the remarkable scientific advances now occurring in stem cell and regenerative medicine approaches in the treatment of future curative treatment of diabetes.