RESUMEN
Diabetes mellitus [D.M] is a disease with a high and increasing prevalence. Insulin-producing cells [IPCs] generated from mesenchymal stem cells [MSCs] have shown immense potential for therapy. This study aimed to compare the differentiation potential of 2 kinds of MSCs obtained from human bone marrow [BM], and umbilical cord blood [UCB] into IPCs. In addition, their therapeutic efficiency to control streptozotocin [STZ] - induced diabetic rats was investigated. MSCs were isolated from human BM and UCB, expanded and differentiated to IPCs. The Cells were evaluated by flow cytometry analysis for MSCs markers, RT-PCR for insulin gene expression and ELISA detection of C-peptide release. IPCS were transplanted into the liver of diabetic rats and then evaluated by weekly measurement of the fasting blood glucose [FBG] levels, and detection of in vivo release of C-peptide. This study demonstrated that FBG levels were reduced in diabetic rats transplanted with IPCs, but in rats transplanted with UCB-derived cells were significantly lower than in those transplanted with BM-derived cells. The amount of C-peptide released from transplanted IPCs derived from BM-MSCs and UCB-MSCs was non-significantly different. The results indicate that UCB- MSCs and BM-MSCs are promising stem cell sources for IPCs that help in the development of a new strategy for treatment of D.M. However, transplantation of IPCs derived from UCB brings better results than BM-derived cells