Tissue Science and Regenerative Medicine

Biography

Biography: Luguang Luo

Abstract

Islets transplantation holds promise as a long term treatment to Type I diabetes. We have previously reported that bone marrow cells (BM) co-cultured with human islets generate a microenvironment suitable for repairing islets and promoting longevity. Our work strongly supports that BM and its subpopulation creates a microenvironment which sustains human islet beta cell function and survival in long-term. In additional, we found that the role from BM derived populations is of diversity. We hypothesize that mechanism of BM support human islet includes repair human islet injury, initiating human isle regeneration through vascularization and initiating beta cell transcription factor activations. Coculture human allogeneic BM and islet generates a reinstituted human islet tissue which suitable for transplantation in vivo for diabetes therapy. However, in vivo immunorejection issue still yet overcome with this reinstituted tissue. We hypothesize that co-encapsulated BM will generate microenvironment for human islet longevity while preventing immunorejection. This work provides exciting results for supporting the hypothesis. APA encapsulation was established by coating gel beads with additional layers of poly-L-ornithine and alginate to create a 4-layered immunoisolatory membrane. Optimal condition was created and tested. After 4 weeks of culture, encapsulated human islets with BM formed a 3D structure while groups without encapsulation formed a 2D structure. The advantage of this new approach also approved in vivo by transplantation encapsulated human islets in immunologically competent STZ-induced diabetic rats. Our results show that encapsulated human islets with BM creates a microenvironment benefitting human islet function/longevity while preventing immunorejection. We will summarize the advantage from our and others to propose potential clinical application of this novel discovery.