Populations of expanded and re-differentiated adult islet beta cells capable of producing insulin and methods of generating same

Abstract

A population of expanded adult islet beta cells is provided as well as a population of expanded and redifferentiated adult islet beta cells. Methods of generation of the populations of cells are provided.

1 . A method of ex-vivo dedifferentiating adult islet beta cells comprising incubating adult islet beta cells in a medium comprising CMRL-1066, thereby ex-vivo dedifferentiating the adult islet beta cells. 
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said adult islet beta cells are trypsinized. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said medium comprises serum. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said medium comprises glucose. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein a concentration of said glucose is 5.6 mM. 
     
     
         6 . A method of ex-vivo dedifferentiating and re-differentiating adult islet beta cells comprising:
 (a) dedifferentiating adult islet beta cells according to the method of  claim 1 ; and   (b) providing said dedifferentiated adult islet beta cells with at least one beta cell differentiation promoting agent;   thereby dedifferentiating and re-differentiating adult islet beta cells.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein providing said adult islet beta cells at least one beta cell differentiation promoting agent comprises expressing in said adult islet beta cells said at least one beta cell differentiation promoting agent. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein providing said adult beta cells at least one at least one beta cell differentiation promoting agent comprises incubating said adult islet beta cells in a medium comprising said at least one beta cell differentiation promoting agent. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein said beta cell differentiation promoting agent comprises betacellulin. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein a quantity of betacellulin is selected from a range between 0.5 and 8 nM.