Diverse Approaches toward Application of Dental Pulp Stem Cells from Human Permanent and Deciduous Teeth in the Treatment of Diabetes

Background Diabetes Mellitus is defined by hyperglycemia, a condition which is the result of defects in insulin secretion, insulin action, or both. Evidence suggest that islet transplantation is a promising treatment approach, but the shortage of sources of insulin-producing cells is a major problem. Ethical concerns and the limited availability of most stem cells have led scientists to concentrate on mesenchymal stem cells, which are found in stem cells niches of all organs of the body including dental tissues on which dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) and stem cells from exfoliated deciduous teeth (SHED) are the easiest accessible sources.Highlights Generally, SHED show characteristics similar to DPSCs; however, its proliferative and clonogenic capacities are higher. It has been proved that these two types of dental mesenchymal stem cells are able to produce islet-like cells capable of insulin secretion. In this review, we discuss various conducted approaches on the application of DPSCs and SHED in the treatment of diseases associated with diabetes such as; pancreatic differentiation cocktails, 2D and 3D culture techniques, factors that affect pancreatic differentiation, in vivo studies (direct administration of DPSCs and SHED, administration of their secretome and encapsulation of their-derived insulin producing cells), clinical trials and future perspectives of these approaches.Conclusion Dental stem cell-based therapy has been considered as a promising therapeutic procedure for treatment of diabetes. Major advances in research on the derivation of insulin producing cells from DPSCs and SHED have enhanced our chance of re-establishing glucose-responsive insulin secretion in patients with diabetes.