Adult stem or progenitor cells in treatment for type 1 diabetes: current progress.

Abstract

Since the development of the Edmonton Islet Transplantation Protocol, islet transplantation has given new hope to patients with type 1 diabetes. Like solid organ transplantation, one of the biggest challenges islet transplantation faces is the shortage of available donor tissue. Finding an alternative source of islet tissue has become an increasingly important field of study. The possibility of generating insulin-secreting cells and islet tissue with adult pancreatic stem or progenitor cells has been investigated extensively. This review aims to discuss recent progress in the study of adult pancreatic stem or progenitor cells and to suggest future directions in this field.