Protective potential of cerium oxide nanoparticles in diabetes mellitus

Background: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a non-communicable metabolic disease which is closely related to excessive oxidative stress after constant exposure to high plasma glucose. Although the current antidiabetic medications are effective in lowering blood glucose, these medications do not prevent or reverse the disease progression. Thus, there is a crucial need to explore new therapeutic interventions that could address this shortcoming. As cerium oxide nanoparticles (CONPs) possess antioxidant property, this agent may be used as a treatment option for the management of DM. Purpose: This review aims to provide a critical evaluation of the pharmacological and antidiabetic effects of CONPs in cell and animal models. The roles of CONPs in attenuating DM complications are also presented in this report. Methods: We conducted a literature search in the PubMed database using the keywords "cerium oxide", "cerous oxide", "ceria", "nanoceria", and "diabetes" from inception to December 2020. The inclusion criteria were primary source articles that investigated the role of CONPs in DM and diabetic complications. Results: We identified 47 articles from the initial search. After the thorough screening, only 31 articles were included in this study. We found that CONPs can attenuate parameters that are related to DM and diabetic complications in various animals and cell culture models. Conclusion: CONPs could potentially be used in the treatment of those with DM and complications caused by the disease.