Immunogenicity of β-cells for autologous transplantation in type 1 diabetes

The success of clinical islet transplantation calls for a broader application of this curative treatment for type 1 diabetes mellitus. The toxicity of immunosuppression, limited organ donor supply and high procedural costs are deterrents to expand this therapy to patients with uncomplicated diabetes. The use of pancreatic β-cell like cells derived from the patient's own induced pluripotent cells (iPSC) holds potential to overcome these barriers. In this review, we discuss the practicality of this regenerative medicine approach and existing evidence regarding the true immunogenicity of iPSC derived cells.