Regenerative Therapies for Diabetic Microangiopathy

Table 1

Role of β-cell replacement in the treatment of diabetic microangiopathic complications divided by site of pathology. Islet and pancreas transplantation generally stabilize and in some cases improve the major diabetic complications in the long term. RAGE: advanced glycation end products receptor.

Complication	Pancreas transplantation	Islet transplantation	References
Ocular	Does not prevent diabetic retinopathy, while the reversal is still controversial	Stabilization of retinopathy,; Increase in arterial and venous retinal blood flow velocity	Ramsay et al. N Engl J Med, 1988 [9]; Lee et al. Transplant Proc, 2005 [10]; Venturini et al. Transplantation 2006 [11]
Renal	Reduction in the thickness of the glomerular and tubular basement membranes,; Decreased urinary albumin excretion	Retarded progression of diabetic nephropathy,; Decreased urinary albumin excretion survival of the kidney graft	Fioretto et al. N Engl J Med, 1998 [12] and Lancet, 1993 [13]; Fiorina et al. J Am Soc Nephrol, 2003 [14]
Neurological	Progressive improvement of nerve conduction velocity	Positive impact on polyneuropathy,; Reduce nerves’ RAGE expression,; Conservation of perineurium and vasa nervorum	Kennedy et al. N Engl J Med, 1990 [15]; Del Carro et al. Diabetes Care, 2007 [16]
Cardiovascular	Positive effects on atherosclerosis coronary and carotid intimal thickness reduction; Peripheral vascular disease can worsen	Reduction in carotid intima media thickness; Stabilization of microangiopathy in skin biopsies; Improved dyastolic function; Reduced hemostatic abnormalities	Fiorina et al. Diabetes Care, 2005 [17], Del Carro et al. Diabetes Care 2007 [16]; Larsen et al. Diabetes Care, 2007 [18]