Method for Obtaining Pancreatic Endocrine Cells From Adipose Tissue-Origin Cells

Abstract

A method of obtaining pancreatic endocrine cells from cells originating in an adipose tissue characterized by comprising culturing the adipose tissue-origin cells; the pancreatic endocrine cells that can be obtained thereby; a method of treating or preventing a disease caused by the hypofunction in pancreatic endocrine cells wherein the above-described pancreatic endocrine cells are used; a method of screening a substance capable of promoting or inhibiting the differentiation into pancreatic endocrine cells characterized by comprising adding a candidate substance to a medium in the course of culturing adipose tissue-origin cells to obtain the pancreatic endocrine cells; and so on.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         3 - 35 . (canceled) 
     
     
         37 - 98 . (canceled) 
     
     
         99 . A method for obtaining pancreatic endocrine cells from adipose tissue-derived cells, which comprises the following steps (a) to (e):
 (a) obtaining the undifferentiated cells from the adipose tissue-derived cells by culturing the adipose tissue-derived cells in suspended state to form adipospheres,   (b) differentiating the undifferentiated cells to pancreatic precursor cells,   (c) differentiating the pancreatic precursor cells to pancreatic endocrine precursor cells,   (d) differentiating the pancreatic endocrine precursor cells to the prepancreatic endocrine cells, and   (e) differentiating the prepancreatic endocrine cells to the pancreatic endocrine cells.   
     
     
         100 . The method according to  claim 99 , wherein the pancreatic endocrine cells are insulin-secreting cells. 
     
     
         101 . The method according to  claim 99  or  100 , wherein the pancreatic endocrine cells form a pancreatic islet. 
     
     
         102 . A pancreatic endocrine cell, which is obtainable by the method according to  claim 99 . 
     
     
         103 . A method for treatment or prevention of diseases caused by decrease in the function of pancreatic endocrine cells, which comprises administering the pancreatic endocrine cells obtainable by the method according to  claim 99  to a subject. 
     
     
         104 . The method according to  claim 103 , wherein the disease is diabetes. 
     
     
         105 . A method for screening a substance which promotes differentiation to pancreatic endocrine cells, which comprises, when culturing the adipose tissue-derived cells to obtain the pancreatic endocrine cells, adding a candidate substance to a culture medium, wherein promoted differentiation to the pancreatic endocrine cells compared with differentiation in a medium without the candidate substance indicates that the candidate substance is a substance which promotes differentiation to pancreatic endocrine cells. 
     
     
         106 . A method for screening a substance which increases activity of pancreatic endocrine cells, which comprises, culturing the pancreatic endocrine cells obtained by culturing adipose tissue-derived cells in a culture medium with a candidate substance, wherein difference of the amount of a substance secreted from the pancreatic endocrine cells compared with the amount in a medium without the candidate substance indicates that the candidate substance is a substance which increases activity of pancreatic endocrine cells. 
     
     
         107 . The method according to  claim 106 , wherein the substance secreted from the pancreatic endocrine cells is insulin, C-peptide, glucagon, somatostatin, or pancreatic peptide. 
     
     
         108 . A method for obtaining a pancreatic islet from adipose tissue-derived cells, which comprises the steps (a) to (e):
 (a) obtaining the undifferentiated cells from the adipose tissue-derived cells by culturing the adipose tissue-derived cells in suspended state to form adipospheres,   (b) differentiating the undifferentiated cells to pancreatic precursor cells,   (c) differentiating the pancreatic precursor cells to pancreatic endocrine precursor cells,   (d) differentiating the pancreatic endocrine precursor cells to the prepancreatic endocrine cells, and   (e) forming the pancreatic islet from the prepancreatic endocrine cells.   
     
     
         109 . A pancreatic islet which is obtainable by the method according to  claim 108 . 
     
     
         110 . A method for obtaining undifferentiated cells from adipose tissue-derived cells, which comprises culturing the adipose tissue-derived cells in suspended state to form adipospheres. 
     
     
         111 . A method for obtaining pancreatic precursor cells from adipose tissue-derived cells, which comprises the steps (a) and (b):
 (a) obtaining the undifferentiated cells from the adipose tissue-derived cells by culturing the adipose tissue-derived cells in suspended state to form adipospheres, and   (b) differentiating the undifferentiated cells to pancreatic precursor cells.   
     
     
         112 . A method for obtaining pancreatic endocrine precursor cells from adipose tissue-derived cells, which comprises the steps (a) to (c):
 (a) obtaining the undifferentiated cells from the adipose tissue-derived cells by culturing the adipose tissue-derived cells in suspended state to form adipospheres,   (b) differentiating the undifferentiated cells to pancreatic precursor cells, and   (c) differentiating the pancreatic precursor cells to pancreatic endocrine precursor cells.   
     
     
         113 . A method for obtaining prepancreatic endocrine cells from adipose tissue-derived cells, which comprises the steps (a) to (d):
 (a) obtaining the undifferentiated cells from the adipose tissue-derived cells by culturing the adipose tissue-derived cells in suspended state to form adipospheres,   (b) differentiating the undifferentiated cells to pancreatic precursor cells,   (c) differentiating the pancreatic precursor cells to pancreatic endocrine precursor cells, and   (d) differentiating the pancreatic endocrine precursor cells to the prepancreatic endocrine cells.