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Adult Cell Fate Reprogramming: Converting Liver to Pancreas

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Cellular Programming and Reprogramming

Part of the book series: Methods in Molecular Biology ((MIMB,volume 636))

Abstract

Regenerative medicine aims at producing new cells for repair or replacement of diseased and damaged tissues. Embryonic and adult stem cells have been suggested as attractive sources of cells for generating the new cells needed. The leading dogma was that adult cells in mammals, once committed to a specific lineage, become “terminally differentiated” and can no longer change their fate. However, in recent years increasing evidence has accumulated demonstrating the remarkable ability of some differentiated cells to be converted into a different cell type via a process termed developmental redirection or adult cells reprogramming. For example, abundant human cell types, such as dermal fibroblasts and adipocytes, could potentially be harvested and converted into other, medically important cell types, such as neurons, cardiomyocytes, or pancreatic β cells. In this chapter, we describe a method of activating the pancreatic lineage and β-cells function in adult human liver cells by ectopic expression of pancreatic transcription factors. This approach aims to generate custom-made autologous surrogate β cells for treatment of diabetes, and possibly bypass both the shortage of cadaveric human donor tissues and the need for life-long immune-suppression.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Sheba Medical Center, Endocrine Institute, Tel-Hashomer, Israel

    Irit Meivar-Levy

  2. Department of Human Genetics and Molecular Medicine, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel

    Irit Meivar-Levy & Sarah Ferber

  3. Endocrine Institute, Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer, Israel

    Sarah Ferber

Authors
  1. Irit Meivar-Levy
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  2. Sarah Ferber
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. The Scripps Research Institute, N. Torrey Pines Road 10550, La Jolla, 92037, U.S.A.

    Sheng Ding

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Meivar-Levy, I., Ferber, S. (2010). Adult Cell Fate Reprogramming: Converting Liver to Pancreas. In: Ding, S. (eds) Cellular Programming and Reprogramming. Methods in Molecular Biology, vol 636. Humana Press. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-60761-691-7_16

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-60761-691-7_16

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  • Publisher Name: Humana Press

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-60761-690-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-60761-691-7

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