In-vitro generation of human adipose tissue derived insulin secreting cells: up-regulation of Pax-6, Ipf-1 and Isl-1.

We present a study of up-regulation of genes responsible for pancreatic development in glucose-sensitive insulin-secreting mesenchymal stem cells (IS-MSC) generated and differentiated from human adipose tissue (h-AD), with use of our specific differentiation media and without use of any xenogenic material. Anterior wall abdominal fat was collected from 56 volunteers and cultured in self-designed proliferation medium for 10 days. Cells were harvested by trypsinization and differentiated into insulin-expressing cells using self-designed differentiation medium for 3 days followed by evaluation for transcriptional factors Pax-6, Ipf-1, Isl-1, C-peptide and insulin secretion. Generated IS-MSC showed expression of Pax-6, Pdx-6 and Isl-1. Non-differentiated MSC as well as their further culture in absence of differentiation medium were used as negative controls. Generated 56 IS-MSC cell-lines were glucose responsive i.e. mean C-Peptide and insulin secretion levels were measured 0.41 ng/ml and 13.13 μU/ml, respectively, in absence of glucose which rose to 1.18 ng/ml and 83.42 μU/ml, respectively, following glucose challenge (p < 0.001). The mean rise in C-peptide and insulin secretion levels was 2.88 and 6.35 fold, respectively. To conclude insulin-secreting h-AD-MSC can be generated safely and effectively with application of specific differentiation media without xenogeneic material/any genetic modification, showing expression of transcriptional factors Pax-6, Ipf-1 and Isl-1.