Adipose Tissue From Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus Patients Can Be Used to Generate Insulin-Producing Cells

We aimed to determine whether responsive insulin-producing cells (IPCs) could be generated from adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) isolated from patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM).

We isolated ADSCs from adipose tissue of 4 patients (one patient with T1DM and 3 nondiabetic patients), who underwent surgery and differentiated them into IPCs with using a 2-step xeno-antigen free, 3-dimensional culture method. Characteristics of isolated ADSCs, in vitro cell quality, programmed cell death ligand-1 (PDL-1) expression, and transplantation into streptozotocin induced diabetic nude mice were investigated.

Adipose-derived stem cells from T1DM patients and commercially obtained ADSCs showed the same surface markers; CD31CD34CD45CD90CD105CD146. Moreover, the generated IPCs at day 21 demonstrated appropriate autonomous insulin secretion (stimulation index, 3.5; standard deviation, 0.8). Nonfasting blood glucose concentrations of IPC-transplanted mice were normal at 30 days. The normalized rate of IPC-transplanted mice was significantly higher than that of the sham-operated group (P < 0.05). Insulin-producing cells generated from T1DM adipose tissue expressed high levels of PDL-1.

Insulin-producing cells obtained from adipose tissue of T1DM patients are capable of secreting insulin long-term and achieve normoglycemia after transplantation. Expression of PDL-1 suggests the potential for immune circumvention.