Can genetically modified skin regulate blood sugar?

In a proof-of-concept experiment, researchers at the University of Chicago used CRISPR gene editing technology to improve stem cell growth in skin implants in mice to secrete a blood sugar-regulated hormone.
when the researchers transplanted these genetically modified skins into diabetic mice, they were able to regulate blood sugar levels in mice over a four-month range and reverse insulin tolerance and weight gain associated with a high diet.
, scientists transplanted genetically modified human skin into naked mice and produced similar results.
results were published recently in the journal Cell-Stem Cells.
gene therapy may help treat a variety of human diseases.
we have found that genetically modified skin implants can survive long-term in wild mice, and we hope that in the near future this method can be used to treat human patients," he said.
"We're concerned about diabetes because it's a common disease, but it could 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 skin is one of the earliest and cheapest tissues that can be grown using stem cells in the laboratory.
1970s, doctors took skin stem cells from patients and cultured them in laboratories, which were then used to repair wounds in patients with extensive burns.
but as the technology system matured, researchers were able to grow 3D organs in the lab, so they began to explore other clinical applications of the technology.
Xiaoyang and colleagues edited skin stem cells collected from newborn mice to control the release of glycemic glycemic peptide 1 (GLP1).
GLP1 stimulates the pancreas to secrete insulin, helps regulate blood sugar levels, and slows stomach emptying and reduces appetite.
, the researchers used CRISPR to edit the GLP1 gene.
they insert a mutation that prolongs the hormone's half-life in the blood and fuses modified genes into antibody fragments to keep them in circulation longer.
researchers also attached an induced activator to the gene to induce the GLP1 gene to initiate expression.
then they insert genes into skin cells for culture.
results showed that the weight and blood sugar levels of mice expressing the GLP1 gene were effectively controlled after transplantation to mice.
long-term safety is confirmed, patients will be able to use this treatment to treat diabetes.
, researchers are looking for other diseases that promise to be treated with similar strategies.
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