How to make pancreatic β cells - prospects for cell therapy in diabetes

One promising approach for the cure of diabetes is the replacement of lost insulin-expressing β cells by cell or regenerative therapy. The recent development of an effective islet transplantation procedure has focused attention on the limiting supply of β cells. Various sources for new β cells are therefore being considered, including embryonic stem cells, adult stem cells and transdifferentiation of certain types of differentiated cells, so far with limited success. The major physiological mechanism for adult β cell formation was recently shown to be β cell proliferation. This finding underscores the potential use of terminally differentiated β cells as a starting material for enhancement of β cell mass.