[Current status and perspectives of stem cell therapy for the treatment of diabetes mellitus].

Due to autoimmune destruction of insulin-producing pancreatic beta-cells, type 1 diabetic patients, and also patients with type 2 diabetes suffering from defective insulin secretion rely on lifelong substitution with insulin. A clinically established alternative therapy for diabetics with exogenous insulin substitution, the transplantation of human islets of Langerhans, is limited by the lack of donor organs. The intensive search for new sources of pancreatic beta-cells now focuses on human stem cells. Insulin-producing cells for transplantation can be generated from both embryonic and adult pancreatic stem cells. Both types of stem cells, however, differ with respect to availability, in vitro expansion, potential for differentiation, and tumorigenicity, which is elucidated by the authors. Before stem cell therapeutic strategies for diabetes mellitus can be transferred to clinical application in humans, aspects of functional effectiveness, safety, and cost-effectiveness have to be solved. Considering these prerequisites in the light of currently available therapeutic options, however, it can be estimated, that stem cell therapy for diabetes mellitus may be cost-effectively introduced into clinical routine in the future.