University of California

The Whittier Institute for Diabetes & Endocrinology

The United States of America As Represented by the Department of Health

The Salk Institute for Biological Studies

Whittler Institute for Diabetes and Endocrinology

Alberto Hayek

Gillian M Beattie

Jeffrey S Rubin

Fred Levine

Sijian Wang

Vito Quaranta

J Andrew Baird

John H Crowe

Douglas A Lappi

Fern Tablin

Timo P Otonkoski

Timo Pyry Otonkoski

This invention relates to cell lines, particularly mammalian cell lines, established by transforming the cells with vectors, preferably retroviral vectors, containing two or more oncogenes under the control of one or more inducible promoters and/or genetic elements. Also within the scope of the invention are human cell lines with extended in vitro lifespan, transformed by vectors containing one or more oncogenes under the control of one or more, preferably exogenous, inducible promoters and/or genetic elements. The vectors may additionally contain gene(s) encoding for desired gene product(s). Also disclosed are insulin producing human pancreatic cell lines useful for transplantation into human diabetic patients.

Development and use of human pancreatic cell lines

Compositions and method of stimulating the proliferation and

Human pancreatic endocrine cells are proliferated without loss of hormone function in a culture medium containing extracellular matrix from bladder carcinoma cell lines in the substantial absence of hepatocyte growth factor/scatter factor. Proliferation is preferably carried out in the substantial absence of any peptide growth factors and nicotinamide. The cells may be proliferated in a monolayer on a solid substrate. Islets and islet-like cell clusters are proliferated without loss of insulin-secreting function by incubation in a medium containing extracellular matrix from a human bladder carcinoma cell line, preferably cell line ATCC HTB-9.

Culturing human pancreatic endocrine cells in medium containing

The combination of trehalose and dimethyl sulfoxide is an unusually effective cryoprotectant for islets and islet-like cell clusters, as well as platelets. Islets and ICCs, when cooled through the thermotropic phase transition in the presence of this combination of treatment agents and then returned to physiologic temperature, retain their functionality. Likewise, platelets can be similarly cooled and warmed without undergoing premature activation. In general, trehalose can be incorporated into eukaryotic cells in general by suspending the cells in a trehalose solution and either cooling or warming the solution through the thermotropic transition of the cells.

Cryopreservation of human adult and fetal pancreatic cells and human

Human pancreatic cell lines: developments and uses

A method of inducing the proliferation and/or differentiation of human fetal pancreatic cells entails contacting such cells in primary culture with Hepatocyte Growth Factor/Scatter Factor, thereby inducing a proliferation of .beta.-epithelial cells, an increase in the number of .beta.-epithelial cells which form islet-like cell clusters, and an increase in insulin production per cell. The method provides increased numbers of functional islet-like cell clusters for transplantation, for example, into Type 1 diabetic patients. The method can be scaled up so as to provide clinically useful numbers of cells for transplantation.

Method of stimulating proliferation and differentiation of human fetal

The addition of basic FGF-saporin mitotoxins selectively elminates fibroblastoids from human islets in culture and increases the ability of such islets to release insulin under basal and stimulated conditions. When such islets are attached to an extracellular matrix, in particular BCEM, the proliferation of islet cells is favored, and the ability of islets cultured in such manner to release insulin is further increased. Moreover, supplementation of the culture media with high glucose or insulin further improves the functioning of the human islets, resulting in augmented insulin release. Combinations of such procedures offer a novel approach towards the establishment of viable human islet cell monolayers for clinical and laboratory research.

Maintenance of pancreatic islets

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La Jolla, CA, United States of America

Alberto Hayek