ABSTRACT
Type 1 diabetes is a autoimmune disease that occurs under the influence of both genetic predisposition and environmental factors,mediated mainly by T lymphocytes with various kinds of other involved immune cells.The autoimmune attacks eventually lead to the islet beta cell destruction and insulin insufficiency.Multiple fundamental studies and clinical trials have revealed that umbilical cord blood pluripotent stem cells have the potential to help restore immune balance,induce immune tolerance,stop the autoimmune attacks against beta cells,and promote beta cell regeneration in type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM),by means of cell to cell contact and soluble cytokine secretion.For the past few years,the National Clinical Research Center for Metabolic Diseases of Second Xiangya Hospital has been leading the research on stem cell education therapy and has performed the therapy for 35 juvenile type 1 diabetes patients from China and foreign countries,introducing a novel treatment for T1DM.