Type 1 Diabetes and Islet Encapsulation: From Historical Milestones to Cutting-Edge Advances

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is a chronic condition in which patients suffer from high blood glucose levels due to the body's inability to produce sufficient insulin. Continuous insulin administration and T1D management are difficult, often leading to hypoglycemic events, insulin resistance, and lower quality of life. Major advancements have been made in recent years, including clinical islet transplantation, but their application is limited by rapid immune rejection and islet destruction. Thus, a necessary paradigm shift has been observed in recent times toward biomaterial-based islet transplantation therapy. The use of biomaterial-based encapsulation addresses major limitations, including immune rejection and hypoxia, and provides a proper cell microenvironment offering greater islet viability. Presently, researchers are more focused on developing a clinically translatable therapy for T1D with the existing knowledge of advanced biomaterial technology. In this review article, we provide a historical perspective, highlighting the developments in the field of islet encapsulation and transplantation, and focus on cutting-edge advancements with modern bioengineering from a clinical perspective.