Authors: Sordi, Valeria; Bertuzzi, Federico; Piemonti, Lorenzo

Source: Regenerative Medicine, Volume 3, Number 3, May 2008 , pp. 377-397(21)

Publisher: Future Medicine

Abstract:

In both Type 1 and 2 diabetes, insufficient numbers of insulin-producing ββ-cells are a major cause of defective control of blood glucose and its complications. Restoration of damaged ββ-cells by endocrine pancreas regeneration would be an ideal therapeutic option. The possibility of generating insulin-secreting cells with adult pancreatic stem or progenitor cells has been investigated extensively. The conversion of differentiated cells such as hepatocytes into ββ-cells is being attempted using molecular insights into the transcriptional make-up of ββ-cells. Additionally, the enhanced proliferation of ββ-cells in vivo or in vitro is being pursued as a strategy for regenerative medicine for diabetes. Advances have also been made in directing the differentiation of embryonic stem cells into ββ-cells. Although progress is encouraging, major gaps in our understanding of developmental biology of the pancreas and adult ββ-cell dynamics remain to be bridged before a therapeutic application is made possible.

Keywords: ββ-cell proliferation; cell therapy; diabetes; stem cell

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.2217/17460751.3.3.377

Affiliations: 1: 1Laboratory of Experimental Surgery, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, via Olgettina 60, 20132, Milan, Italy

Publication date: 2008-05-01

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