Large prospective clinical studies have shown a strong relationship between hyperglycemia and diabetic microvascular complications in both type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes. These results suggest that transplantation of angioblast like cells induced from embryonic stem cells appears to be a novel therapeutic strategy for diabetic polyneuropathy. Moreover, several transplanted cells constructed chimeric blood vessels with recipient cells. Transplanted cells maintained their viabilities and differentiated to endothelial cells and smooth muscle cells around the injection sites. Furthermore, pathologically, the capillary number to muscle fiber ratios were increased in skeletal muscles of transplanted hindlimbs, and intraepidermal nerve fiber densities were ameliorated in transplanted plantar skin. Angioblast-like cells were obtained from mouse embryonic stem cells and transplantation of these cells improved several physiological impairments in diabetic polyneuropathy: hypoalgesia, delayed nerve conduction velocities, and reduced blood flow in sciatic nerve and plantar skin. Here, we investigated the efficacy of treatment for diabetic polyneuropathy using angioblast-like cells derived from mouse embryonic stem cells. However, the effectiveness of these cell transplantations was restricted because of their functional and numerical impairment in diabetic objects. Recently, regenerative medicine studies in diabetic polyneuropathy using somatic stem/progenitor cell have been reported.

Although numerous reports addressing pathological involvements of diabetic polyneuropathy have been conducted, a universally effective treatment of diabetic polyneuropathy has not yet been established.

Angioblast blood island