Potential of Stem Cell Therapy for Diabetes

Potential of Stem Cell Therapy for Diabetes Even though diabetes is a chronic condition that negatively impacts on the health of sufferers, modern science in addition to enhanced technological advancement has led to development of novel treatment modalities that have the potential to effectively reduce its negative effects and also cure it. Existing treatment modalities of this disease are aimed at regulating the blood glucose level of sufferers as well as maintaining it at a near normal level (Borowiak & Melton, 2009). The achievement of a balanced treatment of this disease is one of the main factors significant to living with both types of diabetes. It is however, unfortunate that there is no single treatment modality that has been developed to effectively cure this disease. The major strategies employed across the world for treatment of diabetes are injection with insulin, diabetic diet and exercise (Borowiak & Melton, 2009). Even though these modes of treatment minimise the negative implications of diabetes, they cannot cure it.

This has forced scientists to look into other potential strategies that can result in complete cure for this disease. One of these strategies is the use of stem cells.

Buy this excellently written paper or order a fresh one from ace-myhomework.com

STEM CELL THERAPY FOR DIABETES

2

Transplantation of islet cells is largely considered a potential cure for diabetes type I as well as some forms of diabetes type II. The two types of diabetes are typified by a marked deficiency of beta-cell mass leading to a decrease in the production of insulin (Borowiak & Melton, 2009). It is believed that replacement of beta-cells can act as the long waited cure for diabetes. Some of the main therapeutic approaches in the use of stem cells that are currently in use include transplantation of the islet cells as well as the whole pancreas (Efrat, 2009).

The main hindrance as far as these approaches are concerned is the insufficiency of donor organs. This paper through qualitative analysis of published work, journal articles and other legitimate sources is going to look at the use of stem cells as a potential cure for diabetes.

The continued increase in the prevalence of diabetes all over the globe has resulted in the consideration of this disease as a 21st century epidemic (Montanya, 2004). Devastating effects of this disease on patients have made research to discover a single most effective cure for diabetes an overdue necessity. The fact that type I diabetes is an auto immune disease, which besides attacking destroys the beta cells in the islets of langerhans, which are responsible for the secretion of insulin forms the basis of research as far as stem cell therapy for this disease is concerned. In addition, the fact that the pancreas do not have the capacity to replace beta cells once they are destroyed makes it mandatory for people with this diabetes type I to inject themselves with insulin every now and then in an attempt to regulate blood glucose (Montanya, 2004). In diabetes type II, on the other hand, decreased beta cell mass cannot produce enough insulin to meet the high demand for insulin. This demand is generated as a result of resistance in the peripheral tissues (Montanya, 2004).

One of the longstanding principal objectives of research pertaining to treatment of diabetes is the replacement of destroyed beta cells with new ones in order to increase the production as well as release of insulin into circulation (Efrat, 2009). Even though scientists have discovered modalities of making cells that can produce insulin from embryonic stem

STEM CELL THERAPY FOR DIABETES

3

cells in the laboratory, these cells are not yet suitable for transplant since they do not have the ability to appropriately release insulin in response to the levels of glucose in circulation (Greer, 2006). It has been shown that these cells can produce insulin even in times when blood sugar levels are low thereby leading to fatal hypoglycaemia. Nevertheless, stem cell therapy remains one of the potential cures for diabetes.

Borowiak and Melton (2009) have outlined three major strategies that offer promise to genetic production of β-cells in large quantities. Directing the differentiation of induced pluripotent cells to the beta-cell lineage is one of the strategies involved the production of βcells (Borowiak & Melton, 2009). The second strategy, also referred to as reprogramming, involves the modification of terminally differentiated cells into β-cells. The third approach that can be made use of in the generation of β-cell mainly focuses on promoting the replication of existing β-cells (Borowiak & Melton, 2009). There are a number of sources from which islet cells can be obtained. These include human as well as pigs pancreatic duct cells and embryonic stem cells in addition to fetal pancreatic stem cells (Serup, Madsen & MandrupPoulsen, 2001). Even though xenogenetic islet cells can be used for production of insulin in diabetic patients, health professionals highly oppose the use of these cells due to the high risk of spreading under determined zoonotic diseases cells (Serup, Madsen & MandrupPoulsen, 2001).

The other problem associated with stem cells therapy for diabetes is the fact that even though replacement of non-functional cells can offer a lifelong solution to this disease, the immune system of diabetic patients may reject the transplanted cells (Serup, Madsen & MandrupPoulsen, 2001). Studies are however underway to come up with more effective ways through which immune rejection of transplanted cells can be minimised. Another problem associated with this therapy, as highlighted by Montanya (2004), is the challenging task surrounding the production of immortalized human beta-cell lines. This challenge is based on

STEM CELL THERAPY FOR DIABETES

4

the fact that β-cell lines are not only hard to propagate, but they also have a higher tendency of losing their functionality after differentiation (Montanya, 2004). These hindrances have turned genetic modification to generate new beta-cells that can produce insulin into one of the principal objectives of diabetes treatment research. Research according to Montanya (2004) is underway “to generate more understanding of the mechanism that governs the inverse relation between differentiation and proliferation in pancreatic endocrine cells,” (p. 435).

Even though stem cells can be obtained from a variety of sources, not all stem cells are equal. There are some stem cells that are strictly pre-programmed to develop into particular types of cells. There are others, however, that have the capacity to develop into different types of cells within the body. These cells are referred to as pluripotent stem cells.

Pluripotent stem cells are preferred for regenerative medicine since they are easily obtained and also they are easier to manipulate as compared other type of cells. Totipotent stem cells are the types of cells that have the capacity to develop into an entire organism. These cells are also referred to as omnipotent and have the ability to differentiate into embryogenic as well as embryonic types of cells. Multipotent cells, on the other hand, are the types of cells that even though have the ability to differentiate into a number of cells, they only lead to development of cells that are related. The type of multipotent stem cells found in grownup human beings are referred to as adult stem cells. The main function of these types of cells is the replacement of body cells that have either lost function of died.

The need for novel sources of cells that are capable of producing insulin to counteract the inadequacy of islet tissue for transplantation in people suffering from diabetes is believed to be one of the major factors that led to the start of tissue engineering in diabetes (Montanya, 2004). Even though there has been significant progress in the differentiation of insulin producing cells it is unfortunate that engineering of beta and non-beta cell lines has progressed at a slow pace over the years. Further studies are required in order to generate a

STEM CELL THERAPY FOR DIABETES clearer comprehension of the processes that direct the expansion in addition to the differentiation of stem cells (Gangaram-Panday, Faas & Vos, 2007). The progress being made in research with reference to stem and islet transplantation is believed to have the potential to generate enough beta cells in vitro so as to offer a solution to the shortage of insulin secreting cells from donor islets in the future cells (Serup, Madsen & MandrupPoulsen, 2001). Production of sufficient beta-cells will make it easier for healthcare professionals to treat patients with extremely deteriorated capacity to regulate diabetes as well as those whose diabetes condition is less severe. Stem cell therapy for diabetes has a high potential to significantly minimize the burden of morbidity to individuals as well as to society at large.

It can be concluded that even though diabetes is a chronic condition that negatively impacts on the health of sufferers, technological advancement has led to development of novel treatment modalities that have the potential to not only effectively reduce its negative effects but also cure it completely. It is believed that production of sufficient beta-cells will make it easier for healthcare professionals to treat patients with extremely deteriorated capacity to regulate diabetes as well as those whose diabetes condition is less severe. Stem cell therapy is one of the newest techniques for diabetes treatment. This treatment strategy is presumed to have a high potential to significantly minimize the burden of morbidity to individuals as well as to society at large.

5

STEM CELL THERAPY FOR DIABETES References Borowiak, M., and Melton, D. A., (2009). How to make b cells? Current Opinion in Cell Biology, 21:727–732 Efrat, S., (2009). Stem cell therapy for diabetes. Mahwah, NJ: Springer Gangaram-Panday, S. T., Faas. M. M., & Vos, P., (2007). Towards stem-cell therapy in the endocrine pancreas. Trends in Molecular Medicine, 13(4): 164-73 Greer, E. V., (2006). Stem cell therapy. New York, NY: Nova Publishers.

Montanya, E., (2004). Islet- and stem-cell-based tissue engineering in diabetes. Current Opinion in Biotechnology, 15:435–440.

Serup, P., Madsen, O. D., MandrupPoulsen, T., (2001). Science, medicine, and the future: Islet and stem cell transplantation for treating diabetes. British Medical Journal, 322(1): 29.

6