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Abstract
Type 1 diabetes results from the autoimmune destruction of the insulin-producing pancreatic beta () cells. Patients with type 1 diabetes control their blood glucose levels using several daily injections of exogenous insulin; however, this does not eliminate the long-term complications of hyperglycaemia. Currently, the only clinically viable treatments for type 1 diabetes are whole pancreas and islet transplantation. As a result, there is an urgent need to develop alternative therapies. Recently, cell and gene therapy have shown promise as a potential cure for type 1 diabetes through the genetic engineering of articial cells to regulate blood glucose levels without adverse side effects and the need for immunosuppression. This review compares putative target cells and the use of pancreatic transcription factors for gene modication, with the ultimate goal of engineering a glucose-responsive articial cell that mimics the function of pancreatic cells, while avoiding autoimmune destruction.