ABSTRACT
Pancreas dysfunction is mainly associated with either the loss or impaired function of pancreatic beta cells leading to diabetes mellitus type 1 (T1DM) and type 2 (T2DM), respectively. The ever increasing number of patients suffering from this debilitating disease has led to considerable efforts in using stem cells as a source for beta cell replacement strategies. In addition, stem cells may also provide a model to study the principles of pancreas organogenesis and function and the pathogenesis of DM or pancreatic cancer. In this chapter, we summarize recent fi ndings on how beta cells can be replaced or restored by differentiation, transdifferentiation or lineage reprogramming of stem cells, pancreatic progenitors or other non-beta cells. Particular attention is given to the long term challenges and opportunities to move towards clinical applications.
