Long term effect and safety of Wharton's jelly-derived mesenchymal stem cells on type 2 diabetes

Cellular therapies offer novel opportunities for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The present study evaluated the long-term efficacy and safety of infusion of Wharton's jelly-derived mesenchymal stem cells (WJ-MSC) on T2DM. A total of 61 patients with T2DM were randomly divided into two groups on the basis of basal therapy; patients in group I were administered WJ-MSC intravenous infusion twice, with a four-week interval, and patients in group II were treated with normal saline as control. During the 36-month follow-up period, the occurrence of any adverse effects and the results of clinical and laboratory examinations were recorded and evaluated. The lack of acute or chronic adverse effects in group I was consistent with group II.. Blood glucose, glycosylated hemoglobin, C-peptide, homeostasis model assessment of pancreatic islet β-cell function and incidence of diabetic complications in group I were significantly improved, as compared with group II during the 36-month follow-up. The results of the present study demonstrated that infusion of WJ-MSC improved the function of islet β-cells and reduced the incidence of diabetic complications, although the precise mechanisms are yet to be elucidated. The infusion of WJ-MSC may be an effective option for the treatment of patients with type 2 diabetes.