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International Journal of Endocrinology
Volume 2012 (2012), Article ID 414812, 7 pages
doi:10.1155/2012/414812
Generation of Transplantable Beta Cells for Patient-Specific Cell Therapy
1Department of Surgery, University of British Columbia, 3100, 910 West 10th Avenue, Vancouver, BC, V5Z 4E3, Canada
2Department of Pediatrics, University of British Columbia, 3100, 910 West 10th Avenue, Vancouver, BC, V5Z 4E3, Canada
Received 2 November 2011; Accepted 24 February 2012
Academic Editor: Bashoo Naziruddin
Copyright © 2012 Xiaojie Wang et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Abstract
Islet cell transplantation offers a potential cure for type 1 diabetes, but it is challenged by insufficient donor tissue and side effects of current immunosuppressive drugs. Therefore, alternative sources of insulin-producing cells and isletfriendly immunosuppression are required to increase the efficiency and safety of this procedure. Beta cells can be transdifferentiated from precursors or another heterologous (non-beta-cell) source. Recent advances in beta cell regeneration from somatic cells such as fibroblasts could circumvent the usage of immunosuppressive drugs. Therefore, generation of patient-specific beta cells provides the potential of an evolutionary treatment for patients with diabetes.