Finishing the odyssey to a stem cell cure for type 1 diabetes

Abstract

For over two decades pluripotent stem cells have promised a renewable source of β cells to treat patients with type 1 diabetes. Major efforts to optimize the differentiation, survival, and function of transplanted stem cell-derived tissue have recently delivered clinically meaningful metabolic benefits using a perforated encapsulation device that promotes integration with recipient vasculature under the protection of systemic immunosuppression. Despite this success, the journey is not over as a universal cure will require a larger β cell mass. Here, we summarize recent interdisciplinary advances that could maximize the functional β cell mass within transplanted devices and provide an immune privileged niche that could eliminate the need for systemic immunosuppression.