The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 277 No 7427 p600
18 November 2006

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Diabetes treatment promise from human stem cells

Stem cells derived from human bone marrow enhance the repair of insulin-producing beta-islet cells in the pancreases of diabetic mice, a study shows. The finding suggests that human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) might be useful for treating human diabetes.

Researchers observed mice with high blood sugar that were treated with either hMSCs or a placebo infusion. Three weeks later, hMSC-treated mice showed higher levels of mouse insulin. The human stem cells differentiated into glomerular endothelial cells and were able to halt pathogenic changes in the glomeruli of the kidney.

The researchers hypothesise that stem cells might be able to boost insulin production in human diabetes and that the cells may also prevent kidney lesions caused by the disease.

The study is published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2006;103:17438).