Genetic engineering of β-cells for cell therapy of diabetes: Cell growth, function, and Immunogenicity

S. Efrat*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

17 Scopus citations

Abstract

Cell therapy represents a promising future treatment for diabetes. Here, I describe a number of approaches for genetic engineering of β-cell lines, which can be used, in conjunction with cell encapsulation methods, as a universal source of donor cells. The engineered cells produce and secrete insulin in amounts comparable to those of normal islets, can be reversibly induced to proliferate or undergo growth arrest, and maintain a phenotypic stability, both in culture and in vivo. Immunomodulatory genes derived from adenoviruses can be used to prolong β-cell graft survival by increasing cell resistance to host immune responses. The relative advantages and disadvantages of using engineered non-β-cells to replace β-cells are also discussed.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)224-234
Number of pages11
JournalDiabetes Reviews
Volume4
Issue number2
StatePublished - 1996
Externally publishedYes

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Genetic engineering of β-cells for cell therapy of diabetes: Cell growth, function, and Immunogenicity'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this