Beta cells for diabetes treatment were taken out of the nose
Stem nerve cells save from both types of diabetesKirill Stasevich, Compulenta
Stem nerve cells can replace non-functional pancreatic cells without any genetic transformations.
On the light micrograph of the Langerhans islet, the nuclei of beta cells are visible as dark red circles;
antibodies binding to insulin are marked with yellow fluorescent dye
(photo: Dr. L. Orci, University of Geneva/ Science Photo Library)
The hormone insulin is produced by special cells of the pancreas called beta cells. If beta cells are attacked by their own immune system, then they talk about the development of type 1 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is caused by a decrease in tissue sensitivity to the action of insulin (one of the main risk factors is overeating and obesity caused by it). In the initial stages of the disease, insulin is synthesized in normal or even increased amounts, and the diet and weight loss of the patient sometimes help to normalize carbohydrate metabolism and reduce the synthesis of glucose in the liver from non-carbohydrate raw materials. With the development of the disease, work "on wear and tear" depletes beta cells, and the level of insulin in the body drops, as with type 1 diabetes.
As the experiments of Tomoko Kuwabara and colleagues from the AIST Institute (Japan) have shown, any of the two types of diabetes can be defeated by literally digging in the nose.
In this case, we are talking about nerve stem cells, which are preserved in an adult organism. These cells hide in two "reserves": in the hippocampus and in the olfactory bulb, where they migrate from the subventricular region. The idea itself is not new – many laboratories have tried to replace non-functional beta cells of the pancreas with stem cells. For this purpose, stem cells of the intestine, liver and blood were used, but in each case, some genetic engineering manipulations were required to train such a cell to synthesize insulin. And therefore, questions immediately arose as to how safe such cells would be for the body. For example, will such a modified stem cell have a tendency to cancer rebirth, as a side effect?
Japanese researchers have managed to do without invading the genetic apparatus of stem cells. The cells themselves were obtained through the nose using an endoscope. Then they were grown for two weeks in a nutrient medium containing human protein Wnt3a, which includes insulin synthesis, and antibodies against cell blockers of hormone production, after which they were transplanted onto a sheet of collagen – a protein of connective tissue. A collagen substrate with cells was transplanted to mice on a diseased pancreas. Within a week, the level of insulin in the blood of animals, regardless of what type of diabetes they suffered from, reached a normal, "healthy" level. Consequently, the glucose level also decreased.
This kind of stem cell prosthesis worked effectively for 19 weeks until the experimenters removed it. After that, the mice returned to a diabetic state.
An article by scientists with the results of experiments is being prepared for publication in the journal EMBO Molecular Medicine. Since the cells were taken from the same mice that had diabetes, no immune rejection was noted. In principle, you can also get human cells with an endoscope in the same way, so that you can make an antidiabetic "prosthesis" out of them. It remains only to confirm that not only mouse cells, but also human stem nerve cells are suitable for this purpose.
Prepared based on the materials of NewScientist: Diabetic rats cured with their own stem cells.
Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru07.10.2011