title: Fusion of mesenchymal stem cells and islet cells for cell therapy.
abstract: Auxiliary use of mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) to islet transplantation is shown to enhance efficacy. We hypothesized cell fusion of islet cells and MSCs may provide a new cell source with robustness of MSCs and islet cell function. We succeeded electrofusion between dispersed islet cells and MSCs in rats and fused cells sustained beta-cell function in vitro and in vivo, suggesting their possibility of therapeutic application. Here, we describe our method of cell fusion that enabled us to fuse islet cells to MSCs.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Frontier Medical Sciences, Kyoto University, 53 Kawahara-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8507, Japan, sumi@frontier.kyoto-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Shoichiro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sumi
authors.forename: Goichi
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Yanai
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002459:Cell Fusion; D064987:Cell- and Tissue-Based Therapy / Q000379:methods; D006822:Hybrid Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000637:transplantation*; D007515:Islets of Langerhans / Q000166:cytology*; D059630:Mesenchymal Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D051381:Rats