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World J Diabetes. Jul 15, 2026; 17(7): 119760
Published online Jul 15, 2026. doi: 10.4239/wjd.119760
Published online Jul 15, 2026. doi: 10.4239/wjd.119760
Stem cells-derived islet transplantation toward clinical translation: Divergent strategies and convergent objectives
Duo-Wen He, Hao Yin, Organ Transplant Center, Shanghai Changzheng Hospital, Shanghai 200003, China
Fu-Rong Zhang, Hong-Xi Zhang, Shu-Yan Xiao, Xiao-Yan Bi, Yi-Man Wang, Ru-Lan Wang, Yi-Xian Lu, Tuo Li, Department of Endocrinology, Shanghai Changzheng Hospital, Shanghai 200433, China
Co-first authors: Duo-Wen He and Fu-Rong Zhang.
Co-corresponding authors: Hao Yin and Tuo Li.
Author contributions: Li T and Yin H were responsible for conceptualization; He DW and Zhang FR were responsible for writing—original draft preparation; Zhang HX, Xiao SY and Bi XY were responsible for writing—review and editing; Wang YM, Wang RL and Lu YX were responsible for visualization; Yin H and Li T were responsible for supervision; and all authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.
AI contribution statement: The main text and our response to reviewers were entirely authored by the authors and not generated by any AI tool. Language polishing was performed by a language-editing company. No AI tools were used in this process. AI tools were not used in the study design or interpretation of results. We confirm that no AI-generated content was included in our manuscript, and all content and figures are original or properly licensed.
Supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China, No. 82595903, No. 82470935, and No. 82470838; and National Key Research and Development Program of China (Disruptive Technology Innovation Special Project), No. 2025YFF1501700.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare no conflict of interest or relevant financial relationships.
Corresponding author: Tuo Li, Professor, Department of Endocrinology, Shanghai Changzheng Hospital, No. 415 Fengyang Road, Shanghai 200433, China. dr.lituo@smmu.edu.cn
Received: February 6, 2026
Revised: March 8, 2026
Accepted: June 3, 2026
Published online: July 15, 2026
Processing time: 153 Days and 18.4 Hours
Revised: March 8, 2026
Accepted: June 3, 2026
Published online: July 15, 2026
Processing time: 153 Days and 18.4 Hours
Core Tip
Core Tip: This review systematically compared leading stem cells-derived islet transplantation strategies, including autologous and allogeneic approaches from key research centers. It highlighted the trade-offs among immunogenicity, scalability, and personalization, and proposed future integrative solutions combining gene editing, localized immunomodulation, and cryopreservation advances to overcome current barriers toward a functional cure for diabetes.