LUMC discovers key to cell restoration in type 1 diabetes
LUMC researchers Bahareh Rajaei and Françoise Carlotti have made a major discovery in the field of cell repair in type 1 diabetes. This autoimmune disease causes the immune system to attack its own body, causing inflammation or damage to body cells, among other things. The new findings could contribute to the development of an innovative therapy aimed at repairing these affected cells.
Regenerative medicine
Regenerative medicine focuses on repairing cells, tissues or organs that have been damaged, for example, by diabetes. To restore these damaged cells, researchers use induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs). These are created from body cells, such as skin cells and are then reprogrammed to return to an early developmental stage. In this state, they can develop into different cell types.
A key advantage of hiPSCs is that they can divide indefinitely, allowing new cells and tissues to be grown as needed.
hiPSC's as a gamechanger
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New separation technique
Carlotti's team, together with Carlotti herself, has developed a method that allows for the easy optimisation of the purity of stem cell-derived islets. Researcher Bahareh Rajaei says: pancreatic islets have a higher density than other cell types because they are partly filled with insulin.
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Density gradient
This allows stem cell-derived islets to be separated from unwanted cells by centrifuging the mixture with a density gradient. A density gradient is a liquid made up of several layers, each with its own density, which is added to the cells. During centrifugation, heavier cells move to the bottom.
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Safer product
In this way, the cells are distributed based on their density. After centrifugation, each density is collected separately. This procedure not only improves the purity of the stem cell-derived islets, but also reduces the final volume needed to transplant a sufficient number of islets. Both factors lead to a safer product.
