V-Maf Musculoaponeurotic Fibrosarcoma Oncogene Homolog A Synthetic Modified mRNA Drives Reprogramming of Human Pancreatic Duct-Derived Cells Into Insulin-Secreting Cells.

ABSTRACT: : ?-Cell replacement therapy represents the most promising approach to restore ?-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 ?-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 ?-cell differentiation of HDDCs, which acquired a broad repertoire of mature ?-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 ? cells (called ?-HDDCs) secreted human insulin and C-peptide in response to glucose, KCl, 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine, and tolbutamide stimulation. Transplantation of ?-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 ? cells with potential to reverse diabetes.?-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 ?-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 ?-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 ? cells with the potential to reverse diabetes.

SUBMITTER: Corritore E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5070501 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature