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ixion-biotech.com
Ixion intends to develop products to enhance research into the disease of diabetes, as well as
therapeutic approaches where Ixion's proprietary technology offers unique solutions.
Islet transplantation to reverse diabetes or reduce insulin dependency has been limited by,
among other things, immunological attack on allografts and xenografts resulting in rapid rejection
of transplanted tissue. In addition to the immunologic difficulties, there are significant shortages
of human islets suitable for transplant or research, with only 4,000 pancreases available for
transplant annually. To date, efforts to propagate islets in vitro from either fetal or adult tissue has
had minimal success. A source of reproducible islet cells permitting autografts would
significantly improve the speed and results of research into transplanted islets.
Ixion's IPSC technology permits the successful growth of in vitro pancreatic-derived, pluripotent
(i.e., able to differentiate) islet-producing cells from mice and young humans. When mouse cells
were implanted into clinically diabetic mice, the implanted mice were successfully weaned from
insulin long-term without ill effects. Implanted mice remained healthy, maintained high-normal
blood glucose levels, and showed no signs of disease.
Sorry if I've posted this before.....
Nat Med 2000 Mar;6(3):278-82
Reversal of insulin-dependent diabetes using islets generated in vitro from
pancreatic stem cells.
Ramiya VK, Maraist M, Arfors KE, Schatz DA, Peck AB, Cornelius JG
Ixion Biotechnology, 13709 Progress Blvd., Box 13, Alachua, Florida 32615, USA.
Ductal structures of the adult pancreas contain stem cells that differentiate into islets of
Langerhans. Here, we grew pancreatic ductal epithelial cells isolated from prediabetic adult
non-obese diabetic mice in long-term cultures, where they were induced to produce functioning
islets containing alpha, beta and delta cells. These in vitro-generated islets showed temporal
changes in mRNA transcripts for islet cell-associated differentiation markers, responded in vitro
to glucose challenge, and reversed insulin-dependent diabetes after being implanted into diabetic
non-obese diabetic mice. The ability to control growth and differentiation of islet stem cells
provides an abundant islet source for beta-cell reconstitution in type I diabetes. |
