Searchable abstracts of presentations at key conferences in endocrinology
Endocrine Abstracts (2017) 49 S20.1 | DOI: 10.1530/endoabs.49.S20.1

Italy.


Pluripotent stem cells (PSC), both embryonic and induced (iPSC), are the most promising cell sources for replacement therapies. In particular for a disease like type 1 diabetes (T1D), caused by the loss of a single specific cell type that does not need to be transplanted back in its originating site to perform its function, a stem cell-based cell replacement therapy seems to be the ideal cure. At present, however, a successful strategy for the use of PSC in patients with diabetes has still to overcome several important hurdles, including i) the development of in vitro differentiation protocol for β cell generation, efficient and reproducible in different cell lines in different labs, ii) the possible tumorigenicity of PSC-derived β cells, iii) the risk of allo- and auto-immune rejection upon transplantation into a subject with T1D and iv) the regulatory/economic issues associated to the use of iPSC in humans, starting from production of GMP iPSC lines. At present, the major challenge is how to avoid immune-rejection of stem cell-derived β cells. To overcome the risk of an alloimmune response we could (i) use autologous iPSC, but personalized cell therapy has big economic and safety limits or (ii) iPSC from a cell bank with a limited number of highly selected cell donors with homozygous HLA types, to enable HLA matching for a majority of potential recipients. These strategies, however, would not eliminate the recurrence of autoimmunity after a new exposure to β cell antigens of the immune system of the T1D recipient. The only possible solution consists into trying to ‘hide’ the transplanted cells from the immune system: we and others are exploring the possibility to achieve this goal through i) the setup of a new immunosuppressive regimen for PSC-derived β cells, able to contrast autoimmune response; ii) the microencapsulation of cells into inert biomaterials, iii) the macroencapsulation of cells into specific devices able to protect them from allo- and auto-immune response while allowing oxygen, nutrients, and insulin exchange and iv) the genetic manipulation of the cells to escape immune recognition. If the limit of immune rejection is solved, a successful translation to the clinical practice of stem cell therapy for diabetes will be closer.

Volume 49

19th European Congress of Endocrinology

Lisbon, Portugal
20 May 2017 - 23 May 2017

European Society of Endocrinology 

Browse other volumes

Article tools

My recent searches

No recent searches.

My recently viewed abstracts