Microencapsulation-based cell therapies.

Mapping a new therapeutic route can be fraught with challenges, but recent developments in the preparation and properties of small particles combined with significant improvements to tried and tested techniques offer refined cell targeting with tremendous translational potential. Regenerating new cells through the use of compounds that regulate epigenetic pathways represents an attractive approach that is gaining increased attention for the treatment of several diseases including Type 1 Diabetes and cardiomyopathy. However, cells that have been regenerated using epigenetic agents will still encounter immunological barriers as well as limitations associated with their longevity and potency during transplantation. Strategies aimed at protecting these epigenetically regenerated cells from the host immune response include microencapsulation. Microencapsulation can provide new solutions for the treatment of many diseases. In particular, it offers an advantageous method of administering therapeutic materials and molecules that cannot be substituted by pharmacological substances. Promising clinical findings have shown the potential beneficial use of microencapsulation for islet transplantation as well as for cardiac, hepatic, and neuronal repair. For the treatment of diseases such as type I diabetes that requires insulin release regulated by the patient's metabolic needs, microencapsulation may be the most effective therapeutic strategy. However, new materials need to be developed, so that transplanted encapsulated cells are able to survive for longer periods in the host. In this article, we discuss microencapsulation strategies and chart recent progress in nanomedicine that offers new potential for this area in the future.

EZH2 inhibitors promote ß-like cell regeneration in young and adult type 1 diabetes donors.

ß-cells are a type of endocrine cell found in pancreatic islets that synthesize, store and release insulin. In type 1 diabetes (T1D), T-cells of the immune system selectively destroy the insulin-producing ß-cells. Destruction of these cells leads to a lifelong dependence on exogenous insulin administration for survival. Consequently, there is an urgent need to identify novel therapies that stimulate ß-cell growth and induce ß-cell function. We and others have shown that pancreatic ductal progenitor cells are a promising source for regenerating ß-cells for T1D owing to their inherent differentiation capacity. Default transcriptional suppression is refractory to exocrine reaction and tightly controls the regenerative potential by the EZH2 methyltransferase. In the present study, we show that transient stimulation of exocrine cells, derived from juvenile and adult T1D donors to the FDA-approved EZH2 inhibitors GSK126 and Tazemetostat (Taz) influence a phenotypic shift towards a ß-like cell identity. The transition from repressed to permissive chromatin states are dependent on bivalent H3K27me3 and H3K4me3 chromatin modification. Targeting EZH2 is fundamental to ß-cell regenerative potential. Reprogrammed pancreatic ductal cells exhibit insulin production and secretion in response to a physiological glucose challenge ex vivo. These pre-clinical studies underscore the potential of small molecule inhibitors as novel modulators of ductal progenitor differentiation and a promising new approach for the restoration of ß-like cell function.