Combined therapy of mesenchymal stem cells with a GLP-1 receptor agonist, liraglutide, on an inflammatory-mediated diabetic non-human primate model.

AIMS

Immunomodulation concurrent with the promotion of β-cell function is a strategy used to develop innovative therapies for type 1 diabetes (T1D). Here, we assessed the therapeutic potential of co-administration of human clonal mesenchymal stem (stromal) cells (hBM-cMSCs) and liraglutide as a glucagon-like peptide-1 agonist in a non-human primate model with streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetes.

MAIN METHODS

Diabetes was induced through intravenous (i.v.) multiple low-dose (MLD) infusions of STZ at a dose of 30 mg/kg body weight (b.w.) for five consecutive days, followed by two booster injections of 35 mg/kg on days 12 and 19. After 90 days, the diabetic animals were randomly allocated to two groups: The combination therapy group (n = 4) received injections of 1.5 × 10 hBM-cMSCs/kg b.w. through celiac artery by angiography on days 91 and 105 and daily subcutaneous injections of liraglutide (up to 1.8 mg/day) until day 160 while vehicle group received phosphate-buffered saline. The monkeys were assessed for functional, immunological, and histological analysis.

KEY FINDINGS

The combined treatment group had continued reduction in FBG levels up to day 160, which was accompanied by increased b.w., C-peptide, and β-cell function, and decreased HbA1c and fructosamine levels compared to vehicle group. The combined treatment increased Tregs, IL-4, IL-10, and TGF-β1 and decreased IL-6 and IL-1β. Stereological analysis of the pancreatic tissue exhibited more total volume of insulin-secreting islets in the combined treatment group compared to vehicle group.

SIGNIFICANCE

Our findings demonstrated this combined treatment impaired the clinical symptoms of diabetes in this animal model through immunomodulation and β-cell preservation.