Transforming Cell Function
Background:
Transdifferentiation is a process that happens when one type of cell in the body transforms itself into another type of cell. Scientists have observed this phenomenon in certain instances and believe it takes place when the body is trying to compensate for something it has lost. Is it possible to induce this cell transdifferentiation and create insulin-producing cells from other cells within the body?
Research Focus:
At the Diabetes Research Institute, we’re studying transdifferentiation – with a focus on liver cells. The liver and the pancreas, where insulin-producing islet cells develop naturally, have a lot in common. They start off – in the earliest stages of development – as the same kinds of cells. Some branch off to form the liver; others, the pancreas. To take advantage of the two organs’ developmental similarities, our DRI researchers and their collaborators are working to coax a population of liver cells into insulin-producing cells.
Leading to a Cure: How this Research Supports our Mission
If successful, this transdifferentiation would allow a patient with diabetes to be the donor of his/her own therapeutic tissue. The potential to effectively generate new tissues from our own mature organs would overcome both the shortages in tissue availability and the need for immunosuppression, or anti-rejection drugs.
The image shows hepatocyte-like (liver) cells with an essential gene (Pdx-1 in green) involved in pancreatic development.The DRI team is testing several genes to transform both liver and pancreatic cells to insulin-producing cells.
Drs. Ricardo Pastori (left) and Juan
Dominguez-Bendala collaborate in
efforts to transform cell function.