Alternative sources of beta cells for cell therapy of diabetes

Type 1 and type 2 diabetes affect 150 million people worldwide. This is a result of the incapacity of pancreatic beta cells to produce and secrete enough insulin. Transplantation of pancreatic beta cells represents a potential therapeutic approach for type 1 diabetes. However, one limitation is the insufficient amount of beta cells available for grafts. Alternative sources of beta cells have yet to be defined. During the past years, progress has been made in the definition of new strategies to produce mature pancreatic beta cells. Different cell sources are currently tested for their capacity to differentiate into mature beta cells. In this review, I will summarize the status of our knowledge in the field of cell therapy for diabetes.