Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are self-renewing cells with multipotent differentiation characteristics and capability for the regulation of immune response. Accordingly, in the context of diabetes research, the ability of MSC to generate insulin-producing cells and to enhance islet engraftment and survival makes them attractive as new therapeutic agents for treatment of diabetes and related complications. In this chapter we emphasized the role of MSCs in the repair of β cell mass and function and we described the capacity of MSCs to modulate the autoimmune response during the pathogenesis of diabetes mellitus. In addition, we also presented here the mechanisms, promises and potential obstacles for MSC therapy of diabetic complications: cardiomyopathy, critical limb ischemia, nephropathy, polyneuropathy, retinopathy and diabetic wounds.
URL: http://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-94-007-6716-4_14#page-1