Scientists treat diabetes with skin

in a proof-of-concept experiment, researchers at the University of Chicago used CRISPR gene editing techniques to improve stem cell growth in mouse skin implants to secrete a blood sugar-regulating hormone. When the researchers transplanted these genetically modified skins into diabetic mice, they were able to regulate blood sugar levels in the mice for four months and reverse insulin tolerance and weight gain associated with a high-diet diet.
, scientists transplanted genetically modified human skin into naked mice and produced similar results. The results were recently published
Journal. The gene therapy may help treat a variety of human diseases.
"This is the first time we have found that genetically modified skin implants can survive in wild mice for a long time, and we hope that in the near future this method can be used to treat human patients." "We are concerned about diabetes because it is a common disease, but this strategy may treat a range of metabolic and genetic diseases," said Wu Xiaoyang, a stem cell biologist at the University of Chicago and senior author of the study. Human
is the earliest and cheapest tissue that can be cultured in the laboratory using stem cells. As early as the 1970s, doctors took skin stem cells from patients and cultured them in the lab, which were then used to repair wounds in patients with extensive burns. But as the technology matured, researchers were able to grow 3D organs in the lab, so they began exploring other clinical applications of the technique.
Wu Xiaoyang and colleagues edited skin stem cells collected from newborn mice to control the release of glutatine-like peptide 1 (GLP1). GLP1 stimulates the pancreas to secrete insulin, helps regulate blood sugar levels, and slows stomach emptying and reduces appetite.
then used CRISPR to edit the GLP1 gene. They inserted a mutation that prolonged the hormone's half-life in the blood and fused modified genes into antibody fragments to keep it in the bloodstream longer. The researchers also attached an induced initiator to the gene that induces the GLP1 gene to turn on expression. They then insert genes into skin cells for culture. The results showed that the weight and blood sugar levels of mice that expressed the GLP1 gene were effectively controlled after transplantation to mice.
long-term safety is confirmed, patients will hopefully be able to use the treatment to treat diabetes. In addition, researchers are looking for other diseases that are expected to be treated with similar strategies. (Source: Science Network Tang One Dust)