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Stem cell and gene therapies for diabetes mellitus

Nature Reviews Endocrinology volume 6, pages 173–177 (2010)Cite this article

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Abstract

In this Perspectives article, we comment on the progress in experimental stem cell and gene therapies that might one day become a clinical reality for the treatment of patients with diabetes mellitus. Research on the ability of human embryonic stem cells to differentiate into islet cells has defined the developmental stages and transcription factors involved in this process. However, the clinical applications of human embryonic stem cells are limited by ethical concerns, as well as the potential for teratoma formation. As a consequence, alternative forms of stem cell therapies, such as induced pluripotent stem cells and bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells, have become an area of intense study. Finally, gene therapy shows some promise for the generation of insulin-producing cells. Here, we discuss two of the most frequently used approaches: in vitro gene delivery into cells which are then transplanted into the recipient and direct delivery of genes in vivo.

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Figure 1: Stem cell and gene therapies for diabetes mellitus.

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Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful for the generous grant support from the Kidney Dialysis Foundation, the National Medical Research Council and the National University of Singapore.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medicine, Strangeways Research Laboratory, 2 Wort's Causeway, CB1 8RN, Cambridge, UK

    Roy Y. Calne

  2. Department of Surgery, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, 10 Medical Drive, National University of Singapore, 117597, Singapore

    Shu Uin Gan

  3. Department of Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, 10 Medical Drive, National University of Singapore, 117597, Singapore

    Kok Onn Lee

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  1. Roy Y. Calne
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Correspondence to Roy Y. Calne.

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Calne, R., Gan, S. & Lee, K. Stem cell and gene therapies for diabetes mellitus. Nat Rev Endocrinol 6, 173–177 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrendo.2009.276

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