Cell-based Therapy for Treatment of Diabetes Mellitus: Can the Agonists of Growth Hormone-releasing Hormone Make a Contribution?

Abstract

Beta cell replacement, to supply the body with cells producing insulin, is considered as one of the most important alternative approaches to the treatment of diabetes. Transplantation of human islets and the resulting progressive improvement of clinical results confirm the approach as a positive trend in this field. Recent progress in beta cell differentiation, deriving from many types of pluripotent stem cells, has potentially provided an unlimited source of β cells for research and clinical applications. Novel approaches are needed to make cell-based therapy more safe, reproducible and long-lastingly efficient. As an example, pretreatment of the islet cells with agonists of growth hormone-releasing hormone improves cell proliferation and metabolic functions and, facilitates engraftment of islets after transplantation in rodents. Here, we review current progress in islet transplantation and the studies using stem cell-derived insulin-producing β cells as therapeutic options in the treatment of diabetes. Keywords