Adult Stem cells may eventually be used for type 1

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Stem Cells from Adults Could Lead to New Diabetes Treatment

21-Jul-2011

July 2011 - Stem cells from early embryos can be coaxed into becoming a

diverse array of specialized cells to revive and repair different areas of

the body. Therapies based on these stem cells have long been contemplated

for the treatment of diabetes, but have been held back by medical and

ethical drawbacks.

Now researchers at Tel Aviv University are capitalizing on the " memories " of

stem cells generated from adult cells to bring new hope to sufferers of

juvenile or type 1 diabetes, which affects three million people in the

United States.

Prof. Shimon Efrat of TAU's Department of Human Molecular Genetics and

Biochemistry at the Sackler Faculty of Medicine, says these " induced

pluripotent stem cells, " derived from adult cells, represent an

embryonic-like state. To some degree, he found, the cells retain a " memory "

of what they once were - when created from pancreatic beta cells, the cells

responsible for the production of insulin, these pluripotent cells prove

more efficient than their embryonic counterparts in creating

insulin-producing cells. Prof. Efrat says that this discovery promises to

advance the development of cell replacement therapy for diabetics, possibly

leading to an effective alternative to organ transplants.

His research, pursued with his PhD student Holger Russ and in collaboration

with Prof. Nissim Benvenisty and Ori Bar-Nur from the Hebrew University, was

recently published in the journal Cell Stem Cell.

Choosing adult over embryo

Diabetes is caused by the destruction of pancreatic beta cells, and the idea

of using stem cells as a method of correcting this deficiency in diabetic

patients is nothing new. Embryonic stem cells have been the preferred

choice, since they can be easily grown in the lab in almost unlimited

numbers, and can form any cell type in the body.

" But turning them into pancreatic beta cells is not an easy task, " says

Prof. Efrat, who notes that the process has remained inefficient despite a

long struggle for improvement. Instead, he was inspired to test the

efficiency of pluripotent stem cells that were derived from adult

insulin-producing cells themselves.

" When generated from human beta cells, pluriponent stem cells maintain a

'memory' of their origins, in the proteins bound to their genes, " says Prof.

Efrat. As though receiving a prompt from their past life, the cells already

have some understanding of their purpose, making them more efficient in

generating beta cells.

Avoiding the transplant list

Today, diabetics can opt for an organ transplant to replace damaged

pancreatic beta cells, but that is a long and arduous road, limited by a

shortage of organ donors, and patients can wait years. Currently, Prof.

Efrat notes, the ratio of donors to potential recipients is about one to

1,000. A better option is sorely needed, and stem cells present a viable

hope for the future.

The discovery made by Prof. Efrat and his fellow researchers was licensed to

a start-up company that promotes the research and development of technology

of innovative treatments for diabetes.

Source: Tel Aviv University

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