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In this review, we present (1) the scientific basis for the use of high-dose immunosuppression followed by autologous peripheral blood hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes (T1D); (2) an update of the clinical and laboratory outcome of 20 patients transplanted at the University Hospital of the Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Brazil, and followed up to January/2008, including 4 relapses among 19 patients without previous ketoacidosis; (3) a commentary on criticisms to our article that appeared in four articles from the scientific literature; and (4) a discussion of the prospectives for cellular therapy for T1D. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a clinical research study that examined the safety and metabolic effects of high-dose immunosuppression followed by autologous nonmyeloablative hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (AHST) in patients with newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes mellitus, which is the result of a cell-mediated autoimmune attack against pancreatic beta cells. The authors concluded that high-dose immunosuppression and AHST were performed with acceptable toxicity. Beta cell function was increased in almost all patients with AHST, which also induced prolonged insulin independence in the majority of patients.