title: Evaluation of fetal cell transplantation safety in treatment of diabetes: a three-year follow-up.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Rapidly increasing prevalence of diabetes throughout the world highlights the importance of looking for new treatment options for the disease such as stem cell therapy. With regard to the increasing attention towards stem-cell therapy as a curative treatment for diabetes in recent years, it is of crucial importance to ensure the safety of this novel therapeutic technique. In this study we aim to evaluate the safety of fetal liver-derived cell suspension allotransplantation in the diabetic patients who had attended a clinical trial in 2007.
  
  
  METHODS
  44 out of a total number of 56 patients who had undergone either fetal liver-derived cell suspension allotransplantation or placebo injection in 2007 (IRCT number: 138811071414 N10) were contacted and recruited for the evaluation of possible complications. Patients were referred to a designated ophthalmologist and cardiologist to be screened for retinopathy and cardiovascular diseases. 24-hour urine was collected and tested for the evaluation of nephropathy; and, neuropathy was assessed by means of neuropathic symptoms and monofilament test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were no life-threatening complications nor significant differences in terms of evaluated diabetes complications ( retinopathy, neuropathy, nephropathy and cardiovascular diseases ) between the case and control groups. However, one case of meningioma was reported.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Findings of our study demonstrated that stem cell transplantation can be considered a relatively safe procedure apart from one case of meningioma; it did neither cause any life-threatening complications nor increased the rate of the diabetes micro- and macrovascular complications.
authors.affiliation: Diabetes Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Clinical Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran ; Endocrinology and Metabolism Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Research Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Ensieh
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Nasli-Esfahani
authors.affiliation: Diabetes Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Clinical Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Maryam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ghodsi
authors.affiliation: Diabetes Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Clinical Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Peyvand
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Amini
authors.affiliation: Endocrinology and Metabolism Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Research Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Abbas Ali
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Keshtkar
authors.affiliation: Diabetes Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Clinical Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Somayeh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Amiri
authors.affiliation: Diabetes Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Clinical Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Nika
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mojahed-Yazdi
authors.affiliation: Endocrinology and Metabolism Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Research Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tootee
authors.affiliation: Endocrinology and Metabolism Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Research Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran ; Endocrinology and Metabolism Research Center, Shari'ati Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, North Karegar St., 1411413137 Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Bagher
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Larijani
keywords: Cell therapy; Diabetes mellitus; Fetal stem cell