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) 
     
     
         2 . A composition comprising a population of undifferentiated cells and a suspension culture medium, wherein the population of undifferentiated cells are maintained in an isolated state or in the form of adipospheres and wherein the population of undifferentiated cells are prepared from adipose tissues by a method comprising the following steps (a), (b) and (c):
 (a) removing erythrocytes from the adipose tissue to obtain cells,   (b) plating the obtained cells into a culture container for 12 hours followed by treating the obtained cells with EDTA that does not contain trypsin to obtain undifferentiated cells, and culturing the undifferentiated cells in a suspended state; and   (c) isolating the undifferentiated cells in step (b).   
     
     
         3 . The composition of  claim 2 , wherein the population of undifferentiated cells is a mixed population of undifferentiated cells comprising any of adipose tissue-derived stem cell, an adipose tissue-derived interstitial cell, an adipose precursor cell. 
     
     
         4 . The composition of  claim 2 , wherein the composition is present in a culture container, or treated such that adhesion of the undifferentiated cells in the population of cells is prevented. 
     
     
         5 . A culture container comprising a population of undifferentiated cells prepared by the method described in  claim 2 , and culture medium to keep the undifferentiated cell population in an isolated state.