Cell Tissue Res. 2019 Nov;378(2):155-162. doi: 10.1007/s00441-019-03046-2. Epub 2019 Jun 17.

Transplantation of Stem Cells From Umbilical Cord Blood as Therapy for Type I Diabetes

Rachel Stiner ^1 2, Michael Alexander ^1 2 3, Guangyang Liu ^1 2 3 4, Wenbin Liao ⁴, Yongjun Liu ^1 3 4 5, Jingxia Yu ^1 2 3 4, Egest J Pone ^{1 3 5 6 7}, Weian Zhao ^{1 3 4 5 6 7}, Jonathan R T Lakey ^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.