DeveloGen and Scientists from IPK Gatersleben Publish Data on Key Trigger for Regenerating Insulin Producing Cells

Study Provides Additional Support in Fight to Treat Diabetes

20-Jan-2003

DeveloGen AG announced the publication of important new diabetes data in the current early edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The study demonstrates the ability to normalize blood glucose levels in mice using insulin-secreting cells generated in a procedure driven by the islet developmental control gene Pax4. As an important regulator of islet cell development, Pax4 represents a key component in DeveloGen´s novel approaches to the treatment of diabetes.

"DeveloGen is pioneering new ways to enable diabetic patients to regain control of their disease by providing them with the ability to regenerate insulin producing cells." stated Dr. Günther Karmann, CEO of DeveloGen. "We are currently focusing on the development of autologous cell transplantation and small molecule drug strategies which both include target components of the Pax4 pathway."

"I am very pleased with the results of this study as they support our previous findings showing that Pax4 is a key regulator of islet cell development," stated Prof. Peter Gruss, President of the Max Planck Society and scientific co-founder of DeveloGen. "This study also nicely complements our current work showing the regenerative potential of Pax4 in mice."

Researchers at the stem cell group of Dr. Anna Wobus at the Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK), Gatersleben, and of DeveloGen, Göttingen, both Germany, showed that constitutive expression of Pax4 in mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells in the context of a complex differentiation procedure is able to significantly improve ES cell differentiation into insulin-producing cells in vitro. The study also showed that these Pax4-differentiated ES cells are able to respond to a glucose challenge by secreting insulin and, when transplanted, normalize blood glucose levels in diabetic mice.

https://www.bionity.com/en/news/19066/develogen-and-scientists-from-ipk-gatersleben-publish-data-on-key-trigger-for-regenerating-insulin-producing-cells.html