Cell Journal (Dec 2022)
Differentiation of Human Adipose-Derived Mesenchymal Stromal/Stem Cells into Insulin-Producing Cells with A Single Tet-Off Lentiviral Vector System
Abstract
Objective: Human adipose-derived mesenchymal stromal/stem cells (hASC) constitute an attractive source of stemcells for cell-based therapies in regenerative medicine and tissue engineering as they are easy to acquire fromlipoaspirate, expansion, and genetic modification ex vivo. The combination of Pdx-1, MafA, and NeuroD1 has beenindicated to possess the ability to reprogram various types of cells into insulin-producing cells. The aim of this study is toinvestigate whether MafA and NeuroD1 would cooperate with Pdx-1 in the differentiation of hASC into insulin-producingcells.Materials and Methods:In this experimental study, we generated polycistronic expression vectors expressing Pdx1and MafA/NeuroD1 with a reporter from a human EF-1α promoter using 2A peptides in a single tet-off lentiviral vectorsystem. Briefly, hASC were transduced with the lentiviral vectors and allowed to differentiate into insulin-producing cellsin vitro and in vivo. Thereafter, RNA expression, dithizone staining, and immunofluorescent analysis were conducted.Results: Cleaved transcriptional factors from a single tet-off lentiviral vector were functionally equivalent to their nativeproteins and strictly regulated by doxycycline (Dox). Insulin gene expression in hASC transduced with Pdx1, Pdx1/MafA, and Pdx1/NeuroD1 in differentiation medium were successfully increased by 1.89 ± 0.39, 4.81 ± 0.98, 5.51 ±0.63, respectively, compared to venus-transduced, control hASC. These cells could form dithizone-positive cell clustersin vitro and were found to express insulin in vivo.Conclusion: Using our single tet-off lentiviral vector system, Pdx-1 and MafA/NeuroD1 could be simultaneouslyexpressed in the absence of Dox. Further, this system allowed the differentiation of hASC into insulin-producing cells.
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