Successful pancreatic allografts in combination with bone marrow transplantation in mice

We have established a new method for pancreatic allografts in mice by combining pancreatic transplantation with allogeneic bone marrow transplantation. In this approach, we first transplanted bone marrow to induce tolerance to both donor-type and host-type major histocompatibility complex (MHC) determinants. Pancreatic tissue from the same mouse strain as bone marrow donor was then grafted under the renal capsule. Acceptance of the grafts was confirmed by histopathological and immunohistochemical techniques. BALB/c mice reconstituted with C57BL/6J bone marrow cells accepted pancreatic tissue from both bone marrow donor (C57BL/6J)-type and host (BALB/c)-type mice. An immunohistochemical study revealed the presence of functional islets under the renal capsules. Assays for both mixed lymphocyte reaction (MLR) and induction of cytotoxic T lymphocytes indicated that the newly developed T cells are tolerant of both donor (stem cell)-type and host-type MHC determinants. By contrast, the T cells of these chimeras showed a significant responsiveness to third party MHC determinants. These findings suggest that pancreatic allografts combined with bone marrow transplantation may become a viable strategy for the treatment of patients with diabetes or patients who have undergone pancreatectomy.