Beta cells in a package
At the 100th annual meeting of the Endocrinological Society ENDO 2018, which ends in Chicago, a group of researchers from Howard University (Howard University, Washington) reported on the successful completion of an experiment on transplanting pancreatic beta cells of healthy mice to mouse models of type 1 diabetes mellitus.
The idea of treating type 1 diabetes mellitus by transplanting donor pancreatic cells was proposed earlier. This would help to normalize the level of insulin in the blood. However, so far the researchers have not been able to get the desired result. The fact is that the same mechanisms that contribute to the development of diabetes prevent the implementation of a new method of therapy: the body's immune system attacks and destroys beta cells that produce insulin.
The solution was found in the graft platform: the researchers created a biomaterial that was seeded with beta cells. Transplantation of such biomaterial to mice with a type 1 diabetes mellitus model led to normalization of insulin levels in the blood and significantly increased survival compared to the control group of mice who did not receive any treatment. It is noteworthy that it was possible to achieve a steady level of insulin.
The biomaterial used in the experiment is a copolymer micro-carrier made of polysaccharide. Beta cells isolated from healthy donor mice were seeded into biomaterial and injected into mice with diabetes.
After cell transplantation, as glucose levels normalized, insulin production also decreased.
The immune system did not respond to the transplanted beta cells due to the protective effect of the biomaterial. The transplanted cells stimulated the growth of new vessels, which maintained their viability and maintained a steady level of insulin.
Transplantation of donor pancreatic cells may in the future become a promising method for the treatment of type 1 diabetes mellitus. The biomaterial developed by the authors of the study as a carrier of beta cells for transplantation will help to avoid a transplant rejection reaction and ensure long-term maintenance of insulin levels in the blood.
Aminat Adzhieva, portal "Eternal Youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru based on the materials of the Endocrine Society: Implanting beta cell-seeded biomaterial seeded restores insulin production in type 1 diabetes mouse model.