Abstract
The pancreas, an organ of the digestive system, is mainly divided into two parts: the exocrine and the endocrine pancreas, each composed of different cells with various functions. In case of dysfunction or loss of β-cells, the natural consequence is to develop a disease such as type 1 diabetes, which is the result of autoimmune destruction of these cells, or type 2 diabetes, which is the result of peripheral tissue resistance to insulin. At present, the available treatment is composed of an pharmacological intervention in form of lifelong administration of insulin, and only limited alternative treatment options exist. However, emerging regenerative therapies, aim to replenish functional β-cells by stimulating proliferation of healthy ones, or by generating new ones through neogenesis from progrenitor populations or transdifferentiation from other mature cell types. This review lists those current regenerative strategies for diabetes, highlighting various approaches, lessons and studies. It discusses regeneration of β-cells, bioengineering methods with transplantation based methods.