Meta-analysis shows that mesenchymal stem cell therapy can be a possible treatment for diabetes

Who conducted the study and which organizations were involved

Authors: Umm E. Habiba, Nasar Khan, David Lawrence Greene, Khalil Ahmad, Sabiha Shamim, and Amna Umer.

The research team represented R3 Medical Research (U.S.), Pak-American Hospital (Pakistan), R3 Stem Cell (U.S.), Bello Bio Labs and Therapeutics (Pakistan), and Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan. Therefore, this is not a study conducted by a single university; the only university directly mentioned is Quaid-i-Azam University. It is also important to note the conflict of interest disclosed by the authors: several authors were employed by R3 Medical Research/R3 Stem Cell and affiliated organizations.

What Was Studied

The authors analyzed 13 studies examining the use of mesenchymal stem/stromal cells in patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes. They assessed changes in HbA1c, insulin requirements, fasting glucose, and C-peptide levels, as well as the safety of the therapy.

The meta-analysis revealed statistically significant changes in HbA1c and insulin requirements relative to baseline levels, whereas changes in fasting glucose and C-peptide levels did not reach statistical significance. The authors concluded that MSC therapy demonstrates a potentially positive effect in both types of diabetes, but these results should not be interpreted as evidence that MSCs are an established treatment for diabetes.

Journal: Frontiers in Endocrinology

Year: 2024

Type: Systematic Review + Meta-Analysis.