Stem cell therapy in pediatric endocrine disorders

In the last decade stem cell therapy has emerged as a promising treatment modality in treatment of number of diseases including autoimmune disorders. A number of studies have shown that stem cells exhibit significant immunomodulatory properties which could be utilized in successful treatment of autoimmune diseases particularly type 1 diabetes and autoimmune thyroid disease seen in children. Human and animal studies have demonstrated that stem cells have the ability to differentiate into insulin producing beta cells, which could provide an excellent treatment strategy for subjects with type 1 diabetes. Stem cells could also decrease the need for immunosuppression in these patients, which is associated with significant long-term side effects. Evidence also shows that stem cells can be successfully differentiated into endodermally derived cell lines such as thyroid follicular cells which may be potentially used therapeutically in autoimmune thyroid disease i.e. Grave's disease and Hashimoto's thyroiditis. Other areas of interest for stem cell orientedmanagement protocols are being explored in Parkinson's disease, Crohn's disease, leukemia, multiple sclerosis and Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE).