Islet- and stem-cell-based tissue engineering in diabetes.
New sources of insulin-producing cells are needed to overcome the limited availability of islet tissue for transplantation to diabetic patients. The engineering of murine or human transformed beta-cell lines and of non beta-cells has progressed slowly in recent years, while significant achievements have been claimed in the differentiation of insulin-producing cells from embryonic and adult stem cells. Some of the results have been questioned, however, and the generated cells lack many characteristics of differentiated beta-cells. A much better understanding of the processes that govern the expansion and differentiation of stem cells is needed.
Endocrine Unit, Hospital Universitari Bellvitge, Feixa Llarga s/n, 08907 L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain. montanya@ub.edu
Eduard
E
Montanya
D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002460:Cell Line; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000096:biosynthesis; D016381:Islets of Langerhans Transplantation; D033581:Stem Cell Transplantation; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000379:methods
D007328:Insulin