Mechanisms underlying glucose-stimulated insulin secretion in genetically engineered human liver cells

Project Member(s): Simpson, A.

Start year: 2002

Summary: Type 1 diabetes is caused by the severe insulin deficiency secondary to autoimmune destruction of the pancreatic beta cells of the pancreas that secret insulin. Somatic gene therapy is one of the strategies that is being considered to permanently correct patient blood glucose concentrations. We aim: 1) To completely characterise the ion channels of the glucose-responsive liver cells (HEP G2ins/g and Huh7ins) by patch-clamp electrophysiological, molecular and biochemical techniques. 2) To directly follow by confocal microscopy glucose-stimulated insulin movement in individual living insulin-secreting liver cells by using green fluorescent protein-insulin chimeras and a probe that specifically binds to the insulin in the secretory granules of the cells.

Keywords: Insulin dependent diabetis mellitus; gene therapy; confocal scanning laser microscopy; patch-clamping; insulin secretion; liver

FOR Codes: Gene Therapy, Endocrine organs and diseases (incl. diabetes), Diabetes, Gene and Molecular Therapy, Gene and molecular therapy , Clinical health

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