Cell Tissue Res. 2019 Jun 17. doi: 10.1007/s00441-019-03046-2. [Epub ahead of print]

Transplantation of stem cells from umbilical cord blood as therapy for type I diabetes.

Stiner R^1,2, Alexander M^1,2,3, Liu G^1,2,3,4, Liao W⁴, Liu Y^1,3,4,5, Yu J^1,2,3,4, Pone EJ^1,3,5,6,7, Zhao W^1,3,4,5,6,7, Lakey JRT^8,9,10,11.

Abstract

In recent years, human umbilical cord blood has emerged as a rich source of stem, stromal and immune cells for cell-based therapy. Among the stem cells from umbilical cord blood, CD45+ multipotent stem cells and CD90+ mesenchymal stem cells have the potential to treat type I diabetes mellitus (T1DM), to correct autoimmune dysfunction and replenish β-cell numbers and function. In this review, we compare the general characteristics of umbilical cord blood-derived multipotent stem cells (UCB-SCs) and umbilical cord blood-derived mesenchymal stem cells (UCB-MSCs) and introduce their applications in T1DM. Although there are some differences in surface marker expression between UCB-SCs and UCB-MSCs, the two cell types display similar functions such as suppressing function of stimulated lymphocytes and imparting differentiation potential to insulin-producing cells (IPCs) in the setting of low immunogenicity, thereby providing a promising and safe approach for T1DM therapy.