Novel Fusion Protein Targeting Mitochondrial DNA Improves Pancreatic Islet Functional Potency and Islet Transplantation Outcomes (original) (raw)

Implication of mitochondrial cytoprotection in human islet isolation and transplantation

Biochemistry research international, 2012

Islet transplantation is a promising therapy for type 1 diabetes mellitus; however, success rates in achieving both short- and long-term insulin independence are not consistent, due in part to inconsistent islet quality and quantity caused by the complex nature and multistep process of islet isolation and transplantation. Since the introduction of the Edmonton Protocol in 2000, more attention has been placed on preserving mitochondrial function as increasing evidences suggest that impaired mitochondrial integrity can adversely affect clinical outcomes. Some recent studies have demonstrated that it is possible to achieve islet cytoprotection by maintaining mitochondrial function and subsequently to improve islet transplantation outcomes. However, the benefits of mitoprotection in many cases are controversial and the underlying mechanisms are unclear. This article summarizes the recent progress associated with mitochondrial cytoprotection in each step of the islet isolation and transp...

Mitochondrial Targeting with Antioxidant Peptide SS-31 Prevents Mitochondrial Depolarization, Reduces Islet Cell Apoptosis, Increases Islet Cell Yield, and Improves Posttransplantation Function

Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, 2007

Apoptotic cell death is a defined pathway for islet cell demise, and mitochondrial dysfunction contributes to islet cell apoptosis. The hypothesis that the novel peptide D-Arg-2, 6-dimethyltyrosine-Lys-Phe-NH 2 (SS-31), previously shown to target inner mitochondrial membrane and prevent oxidative damage of neuronal cells and other cell types, optimizes pancreatic islet isolation and improves posttransplantation function in recipients with diabetes was investigated. Herein is demonstrated that SS-31 readily penetrates intact mouse islets, preserves mitochondrial polarization, reduces islet cell apoptosis, and increases islet cell yield. Optimization of islet isolation is demonstrable after SS-31 pretreatment of islet (pancreas) donor mice and with the addition of SS-31 to reagents that are used in the isolation of mouse islets. The supplementation of in vitro culture medium with SS-31 reduced islet cell apoptosis and increased the viability of human islets, as ascertained by dual-parameter flow cytometry analysis. In a stringent marginal islet cell mass transplantation model (200 mouse islets transplanted under the renal capsule of syngeneic diabetic mice) and using islets that were derived from old mice (>24 wk), SS-31 treatment was associated with prompt and sustained normoglycemia, whereas the untreated islet graft recipients remained diabetic. Our data suggest a novel strategy to optimize islet isolation and reduce the need for multiple pancreata to achieve insulin independence in the recipient with type 1 diabetes. Because SS-31 was effective with "extended" islet donors, it is hypothesized that the antioxidant SS-31 may serve to increase the pool of eligible organ donors.

Inflammation-mediated dysfunction and apoptosis in pancreatic islet transplantation: implications for intrahepatic grafts

Journal of Leukocyte Biology, 2005

Recent advances in clinical protocols have improved the outcomes of pancreatic islet transplantation (PIT), yet PIT recipients typically require pancreatic islet grafts derived from multiple donors to achieve insulin independence. This along with experimental models of syngeneic PIT, showing that up to 60% of pancreatic islet tissue undergoes apoptosis within the first several days post-transplantation, strongly suggest the involvement of nonalloantigen-specific, inflammatory events in partial destruction of the graft following PIT. Interleukin-1␤ appears to be among the most important inflammatory mediators, causing pancreatic islet dysfunction and apoptosis through the up-regulation of inducible nitric oxide (NO) synthase and cyclooxygenase-2. Kupffer cells secrete many molecules, including cytokines, NO, and free radicals, which are known to be directly toxic to the pancreatic islets, and depletion or inhibition of Kupffer cells improves outcomes following experimental PIT. Immediately after transplantation, the pancreatic islets are perfused only by portal vein blood until the process of angiogenesis restores arterial blood flow some 7-10 days later. This delayed vascularization may have implications for the expression of leukocyte adhesion molecules, the effects of free radicals, and the role of ischemia-reperfusion injury. Finally, in the immediate post-transplant period, hepatocytes may contribute to pancreatic islet injury through the production of NO. This paper reviews literature regarding the inflammatory events that follow PIT as well as the pathogenesis of diabetes and the pathophysiology of hepatic ischemia-reperfusion and their relation to the survival and function of intrahepatic pancreatic islet grafts. J. Leukoc. Biol. 77: 000 -000; 2005.

Redox Modulation Protects Islets From Transplant-Related Injury

Diabetes, 2010

OBJECTIVE-Because of reduced antioxidant defenses, ␤-cells are especially vulnerable to free radical and inflammatory damage. Commonly used antirejection drugs are excellent at inhibiting the adaptive immune response; however, most are harmful to islets and do not protect well from reactive oxygen species and inflammation resulting from islet isolation and ischemia-reperfusion injury. The aim of this study was to determine whether redox modulation, using the catalytic antioxidant (CA), FBC-007, can improve in vivo islet function post-transplant. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS-The abilities of redox modulation to preserve islet function were analyzed using three models of ischemia-reperfusion injury: 1) streptozotocin (STZ) treatment of human islets, 2) STZ-induced murine model of diabetes, and 3) models of syngeneic, allogeneic, and xenogeneic transplantation. RESULTS-Incubating human islets with catalytic antioxidant during STZ treatment protects from STZ-induced islet damage, and systemic delivery of catalytic antioxidant ablates STZ-induced diabetes in mice. Islets treated with catalytic antioxidant before syngeneic, suboptimal syngeneic, or xenogeneic transplant exhibited superior function compared with untreated controls. Diabetic murine recipients of catalytic antioxidant-treated allogeneic islets exhibited improved glycemic control post-transplant and demonstrated a delay in allograft rejection. Treating recipients systemically with catalytic antioxidant further extended the delay in allograft rejection. CONCLUSIONS-Pretreating donor islets with catalytic antioxidant protects from antigen-independent ischemia-reperfusion injury in multiple transplant settings. Treating systemically with catalytic antioxidant protects islets from antigen-independent ischemia-reperfusion injury and hinders the antigen-dependent alloimmune response. These results suggest that the addition of a redox modulation strategy would be a beneficial clinical approach for islet preservation in syngeneic, allogeneic, and xenogeneic transplantation.

Anti-Inflammatory Strategies to Enhance Islet Engraftment and Survival

Current Diabetes Reports, 2013

Early innate inflammatory reaction strongly affects islet engraftment and survival after intrahepatic transplantation. This early immune response is triggered by ischemiareperfusion injury and instant blood mediated inflammatory reaction (IBMIR) occurring hours and days after islet infusion. Evidence in both mouse model and in human counterpart suggest the involvement of coagulation, complement system, and proinflammatory chemokines/cytokines. Identification and targeting of pathway(s), playing a role as "master regulator(s)" in post-transplant detrimental inflammatory events, is now mandatory to improve islet transplantation success. This review will focus on inflammatory pathway(s) differentially modulated by islet isolation and mainly associated with the early post-transplant events. Moreover, we will take into account anti-inflammatory strategies that have been tested at 2 levels: on the graft, ex vivo, during islet culture (i.e., donor) and/or on the graft site, in vivo, early after islet infusion (i.e., recipient).

Regulated Cell Death Seen through the Lens of Islet Transplantation

Cell Transplantation

Clinical islet transplantation effectively restores euglycemia and corrects glycosylated hemoglobin in labile type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM). Despite marked improvements in islet transplantation outcomes, acute islet cell death remains a substantial obstacle that compromises long-term engraftment outcomes. Multiple organ donors are routinely required to achieve insulin independence. Therapeutic agents that ameliorate cell death and/or control injury-related inflammatory cascades offer potential to improve islet transplant success. Apoptotic cell death has been identified as a major contributor to cellular demise and therapeutic strategies that subvert initiation and consequences of apoptotic cell death have shown promise in pre-clinical models. Indeed, in numerous pathologies and diseases apoptosis has been the most extensively described form of regulated cell death. However, recent identification of novel, alternative regulated cell death pathways in other disease states and solid...

AP39, a Mitochondrial-Targeted H2S Donor, Improves Porcine Islet Survival in Culture

Journal of Clinical Medicine

The rapid deterioration of transplanted islets in culture is a well-established phenomenon. We recently reported that pancreas preservation with AP39 reduces reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and improves islet graft function. In this study, we investigated whether the addition of AP39 to the culture medium could reduce isolated islet deterioration and improve islet function. Isolated islets from porcine pancreata were cultured with 400 nM AP39 or without AP39 at 37 °C. After culturing for 6–72 h, the islet equivalents of porcine islets in the AP39(+) group were significantly higher than those in the AP39(−) group. The islets in the AP39(+) group exhibited significantly decreased levels of ROS production compared to the islets in the AP39(−) group. The islets in the AP39(+) group exhibited significantly increased mitochondrial membrane potential compared to the islets in the AP39(−) group. A marginal number (1500 IEs) of cultured islets from each group was then transplanted i...

Knockdown of Intraislet IKKβ by Spherical Nucleic Acid Conjugates Prevents Cytokine-Induced Injury and Enhances Graft Survival

Transplantation Journal, 2013

Introduction-The efficiency of islet graft survival following intra-portal implantation is compromised by host innate immune responses and the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines that cause acute cellular injury. This reaction activates intra-islet NF-B causing production of gene products that have detrimental effects on cell survival and function. We hypothesized that siRNA targeting of IKK , a crucial kinase in the NF-B activation pathway, in islets prior to transplantation would ameliorate the detrimental effects of cytokines and improve islet survival post transplantation. Methods-To test this hypothesis, we prepared siRNA-based spherical nucleic acid nanoparticle conjugates targeting IKK (IKK SNA-NCs). We treated isolated islets with IKK SNA-NCs and assessed the functional consequences of IKK knockdown in vitro and after intra-portal transplantation in mice. Results-Treatment of freshly isolated mouse islets with IKK SNA-NCs reduced constitutive IKK expression and protected against pro-inflammatory cytokine-induced NF-B activation, resulting in improved cell viability and decreased expression of gene products associated with cell dysfunction. Intra-portal transplantation of a marginal mass (50 islets) of syngeneic islets treated with nanoparticle conjugates targeting IKK resulted in reversion to normoglycemia in 50% of streptozotocin-induced diabetic recipients (n=12) compared with 0% of controls (n=12). Histologic analyses showed reduced CD11b + cellular infiltration and decreased islet apoptosis. Conclusions-These results are consistent with the hypothesis that inhibition of intra-islet NF-B activation ameliorates the detrimental effects of host cytokines and demonstrates that preconditioning freshly isolated islets in culture with IKK SNA-NCs may be a promising therapy to enhance islet graft function and survival post-transplant.

Interventional strategies to prevent β-cell apoptosis in islet transplantation

Diabetes, 2006

A substantial proportion of the transplanted islet mass fails to engraft due to death by apoptosis, and a number of strategies have been explored to inhibit ␤-cell loss. Inhibition of extrinsic signals of apoptosis (i.e., cFLIP or A20) have been explored in experimental islet transplantation but have only shown limited impact. Similarly, strategies targeted at intrinsic signal inhibition (i.e., BCL-2) have not yet provided substantial improvement in islet engraftment. Recently, investigation of downstream apoptosis inhibitors that block the final common pathway (i.e., X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein [XIAP]) have demonstrated promise in both human and rodent models of engraftment. In addition, XIAP has enhanced long-term murine islet allograft survival. The complexities of both intrinsic and extrinsic apoptotic pathway inhibition are discussed in depth.

Considerations and challenges of islet transplantation and future therapies on the horizon

American Journal of Physiology-Endocrinology and Metabolism, 2022

Islet transplantation is a treatment for selected adults with type 1 diabetes and severe hypoglycemia. Islets from two or more donor pancreases, a scarce resource, are usually required to impact glycemic control, but the treatment falls short of a cure. Islets are avascular when transplanted into the hypoxic liver environment and subjected to inflammatory insults, immune attack, and toxicity from systemic immunosuppression. The Collaborative Islet Transplant Registry, with outcome data on over 1,000 islet transplant recipients, has demonstrated that larger islet numbers transplanted and older age of recipients are associated with better outcomes. Induction with T-cell depleting agents and the TNF-α inhibitor etanercept and maintenance systemic immunosuppression with mTOR inhibitors in combination with calcineurin inhibitors also appear advantageous, but concerns remain over immunosuppressive toxicity. We discuss strategies and therapeutics that address specific challenges of islet t...