title: Making β cells from adult tissues.
abstract: β-Cell replacement represents an attractive prospect for diabetes therapy. Although much hope has been placed on derivation of insulin-producing cells from human pluripotent stem cells, this approach continues to face considerable challenges. Cells from adult human tissues, with both stem/progenitor and mature phenotypes, offer a possible alternative. This review summarizes recent progress in two major strategies based on this cell source, ex vivo expansion of human islet β cells and conversion of non-β cells into insulin-producing cells by nuclear reprogramming, and examines the obstacles that remain to be overcome for bringing these strategies closer to clinical application in diabetes therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, 69978 Tel Aviv, Israel. sefrat@post.tau.ac.il
authors.forename: Shimon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Efrat
authors.forename: Holger A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Russ
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology*; D065150:Cellular Reprogramming; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D050417:Insulin-Secreting Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology / Q000637:transplantation; D016381:Islets of Langerhans Transplantation / Q000639:trends; D023421:Models, Animal; D039904:Pluripotent Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology / Q000637:transplantation; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000639:trends