title: The therapeutic role of endothelial progenitor cells in Type 1 diabetes mellitus.
abstract: Pancreatic β-cells sense and adjust the blood glucose level by secretion of insulin. In Type 1 diabetes mellitus, these insulin-producing cells are destroyed, leaving the patients incapable of regulating blood glucose homeostasis. At the time of diagnosis, most patients still have 20-30% of their original β-cell mass remaining. These residual β-cells are targets for intervention therapies aimed at preventing further autoimmune destruction, in addition to increasing the number of existing β-cells. Such a therapeutic option is highly desirable since it may lead to a full recovery of newly diagnosed patients, with no need for further treatment with immunosuppressant drugs or exogenous insulin administration. In this article, we propose that endothelial progenitor cells, a cell type known to promote and support neovascularization following endothelial injury, may be used as part of a combinational stem cell therapy aimed to improve the vascularization, survival and proliferation of β-cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Cell Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: Liza
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Grapensparr
authors.forename: Johan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Olerud
authors.forename: Svitlana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vasylovska
authors.forename: Per-Ola
authors.initials: PO
authors.lastname: Carlsson
mesh_terms: D001786:Blood Glucose; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy*; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000378:metabolism; D000078790:Insulin Secretion; D050417:Insulin-Secreting Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology; D018919:Neovascularization, Physiologic; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology*
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D007328:Insulin