Department of Neurobiology, Federal Fluminense University, Niteroi-RJ, Brazil.
Department of Biochemistry, Pharmacology and Physiology, Institute of Biological and Natural Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais Triangle, Uberaba-MG, Brazil.
Curr Diabetes Rev. 2021;17(1):2-10. doi: 10.2174/1573399816666200417121915.
Diabetic neuropathies (DN) are the most common complications in diabetic patients, affecting about 70% of them. Patients with DN may lose sensation in certain areas of the body, facilitating the onset of foot ulcers, as well as chronic pain. This is due to the progressive degeneration of nerve fibers, demyelination, and axonopathy. Recent studies about stem cell therapies for the treatment of DN show promising potential for tissue regeneration. Results with mesenchymal stem cells derived from various organs/tissues demonstrate great therapeutic potential considering their easy obtainment, as well as their immunomodulatory and pro-regenerative effects. However, problems such as cell transplant rejection, tumor formation, transplantation safety, and effectiveness still need to be solved. Developmental biology lacks detailed insights into some aspects of cell mechanisms, like the genetic components of cell growth or differentiation. These gaps can limit a rapid advance in stem cell therapy research and put it in the future a little bit farther from the expectations that have emerged in recent media.
In the present review, we attempt to discuss the potential of most studied types of stem cells, their application for the treatment of experimental diabetic neuropathies and associated clinical manifestations including future perspectives around these themes.
糖尿病神经病变（DN）是糖尿病患者最常见的并发症，约影响 70%的患者。DN 患者可能会失去身体某些部位的感觉，从而更容易发生足部溃疡和慢性疼痛。这是由于神经纤维的进行性退化、脱髓鞘和轴突变性。最近关于干细胞治疗 DN 的研究表明，其在组织再生方面具有很大的潜力。考虑到其易于获得，以及其免疫调节和促再生作用，源自各种器官/组织的间充质干细胞的研究结果显示出巨大的治疗潜力。然而，细胞移植排斥、肿瘤形成、移植安全性和有效性等问题仍需要解决。发育生物学对细胞机制的某些方面缺乏详细的了解，例如细胞生长或分化的遗传组成。这些差距可能会限制干细胞治疗研究的快速进展，并使它在未来与最近媒体中出现的预期相比稍微有些遥远。
在本综述中，我们试图讨论最受研究的几种类型的干细胞的潜力，及其在治疗实验性糖尿病神经病变和相关临床表现方面的应用，包括围绕这些主题的未来展望。
