In vitro generation of glucose-responsive insulin producing cells using lentiviral based pdx-1 gene transduction of mouse (C57BL/6) mesenchymal stem cells

The objective of this study was to evaluate the potential of this type of recombinant lentivirus to generate glucose-responsive insulin producing cells in vitro. All steps of cloning were confirmed using restriction digests. After the transduction, mesenchymal stem cells gradually began to change their morphology and showed differentiation into islet like structures. RT-PCR results confirmed the expression of insulin1, insulin2 and pdx-1 in differentiated cells. Dithizone staining of mouse MSCs showed the concentration of glucose in islet like structures. ELISA analysis validated the insulin secretion of islet like structures which in the high-glucose medium (25 mmol/l) was 7.44 fold higher than that secreted in the low-glucose medium (5 mmol/l). Our results demonstrated that mouse mesenchymal stem cells can be differentiated into effective glucose-responsive insulin producing cells through our new recombinant lentiviral transduction of pdx-1 gene in vitro. This new lentiviral vector could be suggested as an effective candidate for using in gene therapy of type-1 diabetes.