Co-Transplantation of Pancreatic Islet Cells and Mesenchymal Bone Marrow Precursors on Titanium Nickelide Scaffolds in Alloxan-Induced Diabetes Mellitus

Abstract

We studied therapeutic activity of co-transplantation of allogeneic pancreatic islet cells and mesenchymal bone marrow progenitors on TiNi scaffolds in Wistar rats with experimental alloxan-induced diabetes mellitus. In preliminary experiments with co-culturing of cells in different proportions followed by their transplantation on tissue-engineered constructs, the optimum ratio of these cells was determined - 3:1. Regeneration was assessed by biochemical methods by the blood levels of glucose and glycosylated hemoglobin on days 15, 30, and 5. In the group with combined cell transplantation on TiNi scaffold, normalization of the studied biochemical parameters occurred earlier than after monotherapy with allogenic islet cells and was associated with an increase in animal lifespan. Normalization of the parameters of bone marrow hemopoiesis, in particular, the number of myelokaryocytes and erythroblasts was also noted.

Keywords: diabetes mellitus; mesenchymal stem cells; pancreatic islet cells; porous TiNi; tissue engineering.