title: Cell-based therapies for diabetic complications.
abstract: In recent years, accumulating experimental evidence supports the notion that diabetic patients may greatly benefit from cell-based therapies, which include the use of adult stem and/or progenitor cells. In particular, mesenchymal stem cells and the circulating pool of endothelial progenitor cells have so far been the most studied populations of cells proposed for the treatment of vascular complications affecting diabetic patients. We review the evidence supporting their use in this setting, the therapeutic benefits that these cells have shown so far as well as the challenges that cell-based therapies in diabetic complications put out.
authors.affiliation: Department of Morphology and Embriology and LTTA Centre, University of Ferrara, 44100 Ferrara, Italy.
authors.forename: Stella
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bernardi
authors.forename: Giovanni Maria
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Severini
authors.forename: Giorgio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zauli
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Secchiero
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D048909:Diabetes Complications / Q000235:genetics / Q000628:therapy*; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology; D003925:Diabetic Angiopathies / Q000235:genetics / Q000628:therapy*; D058065:Diabetic Cardiomyopathies / Q000235:genetics / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D045164:Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation; D051379:Mice; D018919:Neovascularization, Physiologic / Q000235:genetics; D051381:Rats; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000235:genetics