[Recent advances in islet transplantation and pancreatic stem cell research]

This paper reviewed recent advances in pancreatic islet transplantation research, including islet isolation, purification, culture, cryopreservation and immunoisolation. Latest progresses in induction of pancreatic stem cell and embryonic stem cell to differentiate into insulin-producing islets were also introduced. On the basis of the present situation and future development of islet transplantation-based therapies for diabetes, the author thought that allogeous islet transplantation is a main choice for type I diabetes today and pancreatic stem cell transplantation for tomorrow.