AIM:To investigate reprogramming of human adipose tissue derived stem cells into insulin producing cells using non-integrated lentivirus harboring PDX1 gene.
METHODS:In this study, human adipose tissue derived stem cells (hADSCs) were obtained from abdominal adipose tissues by liposuction, selected by plastic adhesion, and characterized by flow cytometric analysis. Human ADSCs were differentiated into adipocytes and osteocytes using differentiating medium to confirm their multipotency. Non-integrated lentiviruses harboring PDX1 (Non-integrated LV-PDX1) were constructed using specific plasmids (pLV-HELP, pMD2G, LV-105-PDX1-1). Then, hADSCs were transduced with non-integrated LV-PDX1. After transduction, ADSCs PDX1+ were cultured in high glucose DMEM medium supplement by B27, nico- were implanted into hyperglycemic rats.
RESULTS:Human ADSCs exhibited their fibroblast-like morphology and made colonies after 7-10 d of culture. Determination of hADSCs identified by FACS analysis showed that hADSCs were positive for mesenchymal cell markers and negative for hematopoietic cell markers that guaranteed the lack of hematopoietic contamination. In vitro differentiation of hADSCs into osteocytes and adipocytes were detected by Alizarin red and Oil red O staining and confirmed their multilineage differentiation ability. Transduced hADSCs +PDX1 became round and clusters in the differentiation medium. The appropriate expression of PDX1 and insulin proteins was confirmed using immunocytochemistry analysis.Significant expressions of PDX1 , Ngn3, glucagon, Glut2 and somatostatin were detected by quantitative RT-PCR. hADSCs PDX1+ revealed the glucose sensing ability by expressing Glut2 when they were cultured in the medium containing high glucose concentration. The insulin secretion of hADSCs PDX1+ in the high glucose medium was 2.32 μU/mL. hADSCs PDX1+ implantation into hyperglycemic rats cured it two days after injection by reducing blood glucose levels from 485 mg/dL to the normal level.
CONCLUSION: Human ADSCs can differentiate intoIPCs by non-integrated LV-PDX1 transduction and have the potential to be used as a resource in type 1 diabetes cell therapy.