Advances in islet organoids

Diabetes mellitus is a major public health issue and has an increasing pandemic prevalence. There is no existing treatment or medication that can cure the disease. Clinical islet transplantation has the potential to cure diabetes, yet the profound donor shortage hinders the widespread implementation of this therapy. Therefore, generating β cells in vitro represents an area of increasing interest. Advances in stem cell culture have made it possible to derive in vitro 3D tissues, called organoids. Organoid technology can be used to model organ development and diseases, and it also opens up new avenues for regenerative medicine, providing a new cell source for islet transplantation. Here, we describe current efforts aimed at generating β-like cells and islet organoids using embryonic stem cells, induced pluripotent stem cells, transdifferentiated cells, and adult stem cells. In addition, we discuss the remaining hurdles and optimization strategies for the clinical application of islet organoids.