Type 2 diabetes mellitus duration and obesity alter the efficacy of autologously transplanted bone marrow‐derived mesenchymal stem/stromal cells

Human bone marrow‐derived mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (BM‐MSCs) represent promising stem cell therapy for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), but the results of autologous BM‐MSC administration in T2DM patients are contradictory. The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that autologous BM‐MSC administration in T2DM patient is safe and that the efficacy of the treatment is dependant on the quality of the autologous BM‐MSC population and administration routes. T2DM patients were enrolled, randomly assigned (1:1) by a computer‐based system into the intravenous and dorsal pancreatic arterial groups. The safety was assessed in all the treated patients, and the efficacy was evaluated based on the absolute changes in the hemoglobin A1c, fasting blood glucose, and C‐peptide levels throughout the 12‐month follow‐up. Our data indicated that autologous BM‐MSC administration was well tolerated in 30 T2DM patients. Short‐term therapeutic effects were observed in patients with T2DM duration of <10 years and a body mass index <23, which is in line with the phenotypic analysis of the autologous BM‐MSC population. T2DM duration directly altered the proliferation rate of BM‐MSCs, abrogated the glycolysis and mitochondria respiration of BM‐MSCs, and induced the accumulation of mitochondria DNA mutation. Our data suggest that autologous administration of BM‐MSCs in the treatment of T2DM should be performed in patients with T2DM duration <10 years and no obesity. Prior to further confirming the effects of T2DM on BM‐MSC biology, future work with a larger cohort focusing on patients with different T2DM history is needed to understand the mechanism underlying our observation.