Abstract
Cell therapy in the form of human islet transplantation has been a successful form of treatment for patients with type 1 diabetes for over 10 years, but is significantly limited by lack of suitable donor material. A replenishable supply of insulin-producing cells has the potential to address this problem; however to date success has been limited to a few preclinical studies. Two of the most promising strategies include differentiation of embryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells towards insulin-producing cells and transdifferentiation of acinar or other closely related cell types towards β-cells. Here, we discuss recent progress and challenges that need to be overcome in taking cell therapy to the clinic.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 253-259 |
Number of pages | 7 |
Journal | QJM |
Volume | 107 |
Issue number | 4 |
Early online date | 29 Jan 2014 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Apr 2014 |