A Stem Cell Approach to Cure Type 1 Diabetes
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Sherman Fairchild, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA
- Correspondence: dmelton{at}harvard.edu
Abstract
Treatment of type 1 diabetes with insulin injection is expensive, complicated, and insufficient. While cadaveric islet transplantations coupled with immunosuppressants can cure diabetes, the scarcity of acceptable islets is problematic. Developmental research on pancreas formation has informed in vitro differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells into functional islets. Although generating β cells from stem cells offers a potential cure for type 1 diabetes, several challenges remain, including protecting the cells from the immune system.
