Despite their potential for treating type 1 diabetes (T1D), induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) have not yet been used successfully in the clinic. In this article, advances in iPSC therapies are reviewed and compared with current methods of treating T1D. Encapsulation of iPSCs is being pursued to address such safety concerns as the possibility of immune rejection or teratoma formation, and provide for retrievability. Issues of material selection, cell differentiation, size of islet aggregates, sites of implantation, animal models, and vascularization are also being addressed. Clinical trials are being conducted to test a variety of new devices with the hope of providing additional therapies for T1D.
Impact Statement
This review of iPSCs to treat T1D provides a current assessment of the challenges and potential for this proposed new therapy.
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