Development of genetically engineered human intestinal cells for regulated insulin secretion using rAAV-mediated gene transfer

Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2003 Apr 4;303(2):645-52. doi: 10.1016/s0006-291x(03)00399-1.

Abstract

Cell-based therapies for treating insulin-dependent diabetes (IDD) can provide a more physiologic regulation of blood glucose levels in a less invasive fashion than daily insulin injections. Promising cells include intestinal enteroendocrine cells genetically engineered to secrete insulin in response to physiologic stimuli; responsiveness occurs at the exocytosis level to regulate the acute release of recombinant insulin. In this work, we established a human cellular model to demonstrate that meat hydrolysate can simultaneously stimulate glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1, an enteroendocrine cell-derived incretin hormone) and recombinant insulin secretion from the engineered human NCI-H716 intestinal cell line. Cells were genetically modified using the recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV)-mediated insulin gene transfer. Recombinant cells were then differentiated to display endocrine features, in particular the formation of granule-like compartments. A fusion protein of insulin and enhanced green fluorescence protein (EGFP) was designed to reveal the compartments of localization of the fusion protein and assess its co-localization with endogenous GLP-1. Our work provides a unique human cellular model for regulated insulin release through genetic engineering of GLP-1-secreting intestinal cells, which is expected to be useful for cell-based therapies of IDD.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Cell Line
  • Dependovirus / genetics*
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / therapy
  • Gene Transfer Techniques*
  • Genes, Reporter
  • Genetic Engineering / methods
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins
  • Humans
  • Insulin / genetics
  • Insulin / metabolism*
  • Insulin Secretion
  • Intestinal Mucosa / metabolism
  • Intestinal Mucosa / physiology*
  • Kinetics
  • Luminescent Proteins / genetics
  • Microscopy, Confocal
  • Recombinant Proteins / metabolism
  • Tumor Cells, Cultured

Substances

  • Insulin
  • Luminescent Proteins
  • Recombinant Proteins
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins