Stem cell therapies in diabetes

Abstract Insulin insufficiency is a common problem for both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. While pancreas and islet transplantation emerged as a potential treatment in type 1 diabetes, insubstantial long-term outcomes and the limitations in donor tissue availability, quality, and distribution prompt scientists for alternative sources. Stem cell therapy is a promising alternative approach. Following the discovery of reprogramming of somatic cells into inducible human pluripotent stem cells, many studies focused on the differentiation protocols and quality control steps to generate differentiated end-stage cells that are safe, functional, and at a scale sufficient to replace damaged cells. This chapter focuses on the role of stem cells and their applications in diabetes.