Applications of Stem Cell–Derived Islets and Emerging Experimental Platforms to Understand Diabetes

Abstract

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) impacts more than 9 million individuals globally. Despite a century since the isolation and clinical introduction of insulin, exogenous insulin injections remain the primary form of treatment for T1D. While continuous glucose monitoring systems and optimized insulin delivery reduce life-threatening hypoglycemic events, they do not provide a permanent cure. Transplantation of pancreatic islets offers a potential long-term solution. Recent advances in stem cell–derived islets (SC-islets) have shown remarkable promise in both clinical and research settings. This article highlights recent clinical reports in the use of SC-islets to restore islet function and their versatility as a platform for disease modeling and drug screening while emphasizing current strategies aimed at overcoming their limitations and enhancing their therapeutic potential. We also discuss exciting emerging approaches that expand investigations beyond pancreatic endocrine cells to encompass nonendocrine cell types in the pancreas, offering a unique bird’s-eye view into pancreatic biology and insights into cellular cross talk in health and disease. Our aim is for this article to serve as a resource for up-to-date advances in SC-islet research and to highlight novel platforms for studying diabetes pathogenesis in unprecedented ways, accelerating progress toward a permanent cure. Article Highlights Stem cell–derived islets provide a renewable source of insulin-producing cells for studying diabetes and developing regenerative therapies. Stem cell–derived islets are still functionally immature in comparison with primary human islets, underscoring the need for deeper insights into β-cell biology to improve their fidelity. Nonetheless, they serve as a powerful platform for diabetes disease modeling. Emerging technological advances, including spatial multiomics and multicellular organoid development, are revealing key roles for non–β-cell and nonislet cell types in pancreatic diseases. Integrating these emerging tools is critical for broadening our understanding of diabetes pathophysiology and may enable us to view the disease from previously unexplored perspectives.