Citation

  • Authors: Corritore, E., Lee, Y. S., Pasquale, V., Liberati, D., Hsu, M. J., Lombard, C. A., Van Der Smissen, P., Vetere, A., Bonner-Weir, S., Piemonti, L., Sokal, E., Lysy, P. A.
  • Year: 2016
  • Journal: Stem Cells Transl Med 5 1525-1537
  • Applications: in vitro / DNA, modified mRNA / jetPEI
  • Cell types:
    1. Name: HEK-293
      Description: Human embryonic kidney Fibroblast
      Known as: HEK293, 293
    2. Name: MIN6
      Description: Mouse insulinoma cells
      Known as: mouse Pancreatic Beta cells

Abstract

: beta-Cell replacement therapy represents the most promising approach to restore beta-cell mass and glucose homeostasis in patients with type 1 diabetes. Safety and ethical issues associated with pluripotent stem cells stimulated the search for adult progenitor cells with endocrine differentiation capacities. We have already described a model for expansion and differentiation of human pancreatic duct-derived cells (HDDCs) into insulin-producing cells. Here we show an innovative and robust in vitro system for large-scale production of beta-like cells from HDDCs using a nonintegrative RNA-based reprogramming technique. Synthetic modified RNAs for pancreatic transcription factors (pancreatic duodenal homeobox 1, neurogenin3, and V-Maf musculoaponeurotic fibrosarcoma oncogene homolog A [MAFA]) were manufactured and daily transfected in HDDCs without strongly affecting immune response and cell viability. MAFA overexpression was efficient and sufficient to induce beta-cell differentiation of HDDCs, which acquired a broad repertoire of mature beta-cell markers while downregulating characteristic epithelial-mesenchymal transition markers. Within 7 days, MAFA-reprogrammed HDDC populations contained 37% insulin-positive cells and a proportion of endocrine cells expressing somatostatin and pancreatic polypeptide. Ultrastructure analysis of differentiated HDDCs showed both immature and mature insulin granules with light-backscattering properties. Furthermore, in vitro HDDC-derived beta cells (called beta-HDDCs) secreted human insulin and C-peptide in response to glucose, KCl, 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine, and tolbutamide stimulation. Transplantation of beta-HDDCs into diabetic SCID-beige mice confirmed their functional glucose-responsive insulin secretion and their capacity to mitigate hyperglycemia. Our data describe a new, reliable, and fast procedure in adult human pancreatic cells to generate clinically relevant amounts of new beta cells with potential to reverse diabetes. SIGNIFICANCE: beta-Cell replacement therapy represents the most promising approach to restore glucose homeostasis in patients with type 1 diabetes. This study shows an innovative and robust in vitro system for large-scale production of beta-like cells from human pancreatic duct-derived cells (HDDCs) using a nonintegrative RNA-based reprogramming technique. V-Maf musculoaponeurotic fibrosarcoma oncogene homolog A overexpression was efficient and sufficient to induce beta-cell differentiation and insulin secretion from HDDCs in response to glucose stimulation, allowing the cells to mitigate hyperglycemia in diabetic SCID-beige mice. The data describe a new, reliable, and fast procedure in adult human pancreatic cells to generate clinically relevant amounts of new beta cells with the potential to reverse diabetes.

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