Gene therapy of diabetes mellitus--aims, methods and future prospects

Progress in pancreatic islet research and molecular biology techniques has opened the perspective for gene therapy of diabetes mellitus. This review will focus on the prerequisites for the generation of genetically engineered insulin-producing cells and current methods of gene transfer. A short account of the genetically modified insulin-secreting cell lines generated so far is also given. Although still experimental each of these new insulin-secreting cell lines is a step forward on the way to gene therapy of human diabetes.