Platelet-Like Cell Reprogramming for Safer Insulin-Producing Cells
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for generating induced pluripotent stem cells from adult cells often involve viral or drug-induced transduction, raising safety concerns and stability issues when transferred to patients.
Innovation Solution
Isolating a population of peripheral blood mononuclear cells and using platelet-like cells from umbilical cord blood to functionally reprogram adult cells into insulin-producing cells, bypassing the need for viral or drug-induced transduction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If viral or drug-induced transduction is used to generate induced pluripotent stem cells from adult cells, then reprogramming efficiency is improved, but safety concerns and stability issues arise
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the harmful viral transduction step from the reprogramming process. Instead of using viral vectors to deliver reprogramming factors, the invention uses platelet-rich plasma to naturally deliver these factors, removing the safety risks associated with viral integration while maintaining reprogramming efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces platelet-rich plasma as an intermediary medium to deliver reprogramming factors. Platelets serve as natural carriers that transport reprogramming molecules to adult cells without the harmful effects of viral transduction, thereby improving both safety and stability of the reprogramming process
2Adaptability or versatility
If traditional viral transduction methods are used, then reprogramming capability is achieved, but harmful factors are introduced into the system
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the naturally occurring platelets in blood into beneficial delivery vehicles for reprogramming factors. Instead of using harmful viral vectors, the invention leverages the body's own platelets to perform the reprogramming function, thereby eliminating safety concerns while maintaining reprogramming capability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables the body's own blood components (platelets) to perform the reprogramming function without external intervention. The platelets naturally deliver reprogramming factors to adult cells, allowing the system to reprogram itself using its own resources, thereby eliminating the need for harmful external agents
Data Source
AI summary
The described invention provides a method of functionally reprogramming adult cells to an immature cell type that expresses one or more embryonic biomarkers. The reprogramming is accomplished by contacting the adult cells with a platelet rich fraction comprising platelet-like cells from umbilical cord blood or peripheral blood, and expanding the immature cell type in vitro under culture conditions to generate an insulin-producing cell population that expresses human beta-cell specific transcription factors and is functionally equivalent to human pancreatic beta-cells. Without being limited by theory, platelet-like cells and their released mitochondria display immune tolerance-associated markers that may modulate the function and differentiation of immune cells. The described invention further provides a pharmaceutical composition comprising a cell product containing a therapeutic amount of an insulin-producing cell population derived from functionally reprogrammed adult cells, wherein the insulin-producing cell population expresses human beta-cell specific transcription factors and is functionally equivalent to human pancreatic beta-cells.