title: Chromatin-remodeling factors allow differentiation of bone marrow cells into insulin-producing cells.
abstract: Type 1 diabetes is caused by the destruction of pancreatic beta-cells by T cells of the immune system. Islet transplantation is a promising therapy for diabetes mellitus. Bone marrow stem cells (BMSC) have the capacity to differentiate into various cell lineages including endocrine cells of the pancreas. To investigate the conditions that allow BMSC to differentiate into insulin-producing cells, a novel in vitro method was developed by using the histone deacetylase inhibitor, trichostatin A (TSA). BMSC, cultured in presence of TSA, differentiated into islet-like clusters under appropriate culture conditions. These islet-like clusters were similar to the cells of the islets of the pancreas. The islet-like clusters showed endocrine gene expression typical for pancreatic beta-cell development and function, such as insulin (I and II), glucagon, somatostatin, GLUT-2, pancreatic duodenal homeobox-1 (PDX-1), and Pax 4. Immunocytochemistry confirmed islet-like clusters contained pancreatic hormones. The colocalization of insulin and C-peptide was also observed. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay analysis demonstrated that insulin secretion was regulated by glucose. Western blot analysis demonstrated the presence of stored insulin. Electron microscopy of the islet-like cells revealed an ultrastructure similar to that of pancreatic beta-cells, which contain insulin granules within secretory vesicles. These findings suggest that histone-deacetylating agents could allow the differentiation of BMSC into insulin-producing beta-cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gene REgulation and Differentiation, German Research Center for Biotechnology, Braunschweig, Germany. tth@helmholtz-hzi.de
authors.forename: Tayaramma
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Thatava
authors.forename: Thatava
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tayaramma
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Manfred
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rohde
authors.forename: Hubert
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mayer
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects; D002614:Chelating Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D042002:Chromatin Assembly and Disassembly; D005260:Female; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000187:drug effects; D005934:Glucagon / Q000378:metabolism; D007328:Insulin / Q000378:metabolism; D050417:Insulin-Secreting Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000648:ultrastructure; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D013004:Somatostatin / Q000378:metabolism; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism*; D015032:Zinc / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D002614:Chelating Agents; D007328:Insulin; D014157:Transcription Factors; D013004:Somatostatin; D005934:Glucagon; D015032:Zinc