Engineered commensal bacteria reprogram intestinal cells into glucose-responsive insulin-secreting cells for the treatment of diabetes.

ABSTRACT: The inactive full-length form of GLP-1(1-37) stimulates conversion of both rat and human intestinal epithelial cells into insulin-secreting cells. We investigated whether oral administration of human commensal bacteria engineered to secrete GLP-1(1-37) could ameliorate hyperglycemia in a rat model of diabetes by reprogramming intestinal cells into glucose-responsive insulin-secreting cells. Diabetic rats were fed daily with human lactobacilli engineered to secrete GLP-1(1-37). Diabetic rats fed GLP-1-secreting bacteria showed significant increases in insulin levels and, additionally, were significantly more glucose tolerant than those fed the parent bacterial strain. These rats developed insulin-producing cells within the upper intestine in numbers sufficient to replace ∼25-33% of the insu

SUBMITTER: Duan FF 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4407861 | biostudies-literature | 2015 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature