Long-term graft function after allogeneic islet transplantation

Islet transplants are emerging as a viable option for the treatment of type 1 diabetes mellitus. From 1989 to 1995 we conducted a series of simultaneous islet-kidney transplants in six uremic type 1 diabetic patients. We report two of these patients who have shown persistent islet graft function over many years. Two female patients with duration of diabetes of 27 and 37 years underwent simultaneous islet-kidney transplant under steroid- and cyclosporine-based immunosuppression. Freshly isolated islets were supplemented with cryopreserved islets from our low-temperature bank of frozen islets. A total islet mass of 9,866 and 15,061 islet equivalents/kg body weight, respectively, was transplanted into the liver through portal vein. Reasonable blood glucose control has been achieved for up to 6 years posttransplant in one patient, but there was minimum clinical benefit from the islet graft at 10 years. In contrast, sustained insulin secretion with nearly normal HbA1c at 13 years follow-up was observed in another patient, providing hope for improving long-term graft outcomes for islet transplant recipient.     

Prolonged islet graft survival in NOD mice by blockade of the CD40-CD154 pathway of T-cell costimulation

Allorejection and recurrence of autoimmunity are the major barriers to transplantation of islets of Langerhans for the cure of type 1 diabetes in humans. CD40-CD154 (CD40 ligand) interaction blockade by the use of anti-CD154 monoclonal antibody (mAb) has shown efficacy in preventing allorejection in several models of organ and cell transplantation. Here we report the beneficial effect of the chronic administration of a hamster anti-murine CD154 mAb, MR1, in prolonging islet graft survival in NOD mice. We explored the transplantation of C57BL/6 islets into spontaneously diabetic NOD mice, a combination in which both allogeneic and autoimmune components are implicated in graft loss. Recipients were treated either with an irrelevant control antibody or with MR1. MR1 administration was effective in prolonging allograft survival, but did not provide permanent protection from diabetes recurrence. The autoimmune component of graft loss was studied in spontaneously diabetic NOD mice that received syngeneic islets from young male NOD mice. In this combination, a less dramatic yet substantial delay in diabetes recurrence was observed in the MR1-treated recipients when compared with the control group. Finally, the allogeneic component was explored by transplanting C57BL/6 islets into chemically induced diabetic male NOD mice. In this setting, long-term graft survival (>100 days) was achieved in MR1-treated mice, whereas control recipients rejected their grafts within 25 days. In conclusion, chronic blockade of CD154 results in permanent protection from allorejection and significantly delays recurrence of diabetes in NOD mice.     

Prolonged islet allograft survival in diabetic mice upon macrophage depletion by clodronate-loaded erythrocytes

Early impairment of islet function and graft loss strongly limit the success of allogenic islet transplantation in insulin-dependent diabetes. Macrophages play a key role in this process thus the depletion of these cells may strongly affect islet survival. In this study, we have evaluated the effect of the depletion of macrophages in mouse allograft rejection using a new approach based on a single infusion of red blood cells loaded with the synthetic analogue of pyrophosphate clodronate. Graft survival was 19.4+/-0.89 and 20+/-2 days in the two control groups treated with physiological solution and unloaded erythrocytes, respectively; 25+/-1.9 days in the group treated with free-clodronate and 35+/-6 days in the erythrocytes-loaded group. Our results indicate clodronate selectively targeted to the macrophagic cells by a single administration of engineered erythrocytes can significantly prolong islet graft survival and open new therapeutic strategies in islet transplantation.     

输注胰岛抗原特异性Treg细胞延长同系NOD小鼠移植胰岛的存活时间

目的 探讨输注胰岛抗原特异性调节性T淋巴细胞(Treg细胞)对非肥胖糖尿病(NOD)小鼠同系胰岛移植物存活时间的影响.方法·以未成熟树突状细胞(imDC)联合谷氨酸脱羧酶-65在体外诱导童贞T淋巴细胞分化成胰岛抗原特异性Treg细胞.以已发生糖尿病的NOD小鼠为受者,将分离得到的尚未进展为糖尿病的NOD小鼠的胰岛(500胰岛当量)移植至受者的肾包膜下,对照组不行移植,只观察血糖变化;单纯胰岛移植组只进行胰岛移植,不输注胰岛抗原特异性Treg细胞;实验组于术前1d静脉输注1×106个胰岛抗原特异性Treg细胞,然后进行胰岛移植.术后检测受者的血糖,以判断移植胰岛的存活时间,观察胰岛移植物的病理学变化.结果 对照组血糖持续高于11.1 mmol/L;单纯胰岛移植组小鼠的血糖于术后1～2 d降至正常,到7～17d时开始陆续升高,并维持在术前水平,移植物存活时间为(12.2±2.6)d;实验组小鼠的血糖于术后1～2 d降至正常,至第27天开始有小鼠血糖升高超过11.1 mmol/L,第43天时,所有小鼠的血糖均超过11.1mmol/L,移植物的存活时间为(35.2±4.3)d,明显长于单纯胰岛移植组(P＜0.01).单纯胰岛移植组的移植胰岛有明显的淋巴细胞浸润,并伴有胰岛细胞严重破坏,胰岛素染色未见完整的胰岛存在,仅有极少量残存的分泌胰岛素的胰岛细胞;实验组第15天时移植胰岛形态完整,仅有少量淋巴细胞浸润,分泌胰岛素的胰岛大量存在.结论 体外诱导产生的胰岛抗原特异性Treg细胞可以延缓自身免疫系统对移植胰岛的破坏,明显延长NOD小鼠移植胰岛的存活时间.     

Long-term islet graft survival in NOD mice by abrogation of recurrent autoimmunity

Islet transplantation has great potential for curing type 1 diabetes; however, long-term islet survival using conventional immunosuppression remains elusive. We present a novel strategy for inducing long-lasting islet graft survival in diabetic NOD mice in the absence of posttransplant immunosuppression by initial treatment with antilymphocyte serum (ALS) followed by coadministration of donor pancreatic lymph node cells (PLNCs). When treated with ALS/PLNC, diabetic NOD mice become normoglycemic and tolerated minor antigen-disparate islet grafts for >100 days and syngeneic islet grafts indefinitely. Donor T-cells are required for graft prolongation, and tolerant hosts have long-term donor T-cell chimerism. Strikingly, host autoreactive T-cells from mice with long-surviving islet grafts predominantly produce interleukin-4, whereas autoreactive T-cells from mice that rejected their islet grafts predominantly produce interferon-gamma. We thus demonstrate a clinically relevant approach for ablation of recurrent autoimmunity in islet transplantation, involving donor lymphocyte-driven alteration of pathogenic autoreactive T-cells.     

Prolonged islet allograft survival by alpha-1 antitrypsin: the role of humoral immunity

Immunomodulatory properties have been recognized for human alpha-1 antitrypsin (hAAT). However, production of anti-hAAT antibodies in mice may inactivate the protein. In this study, we evaluated the effects of chronic hAAT administration on allogeneic islet graft survival. Chemically diabetic mice lacking an efficient humoral response due to the targeted disruption of the Ig mu-chain (muMT mice) or wild-type (WT) C57BL/6 mice received DBA/2 mouse islets under the kidney capsule. hAAT (Prolastin or Aralast) was given intraperitoneally on day 0 and every 3 days thereafter. Control animals received no treatment. hAAT administration in WT mice resulted in prolongation of islet allograft survival in a dose-dependent fashion in both hAAT-treated groups. Lack of Ig response (muMT mice) per se conferred a beneficial effect on graft survival that worsened in the Prolastin-treated groups but improved in the Aralast-treated group. Our data indicate that systemic administration of hAAT results in prolongation of islet allograft survival. Absence of mature B cells and Ig mu-chain resulted in improved graft survival, pointing to a role for B cells in the rejection process in this model. Treatment with Prolastin worsened graft survival in muMT mice, whereas Aralast did improve it, suggesting a different efficacy and possible actions of the two drug formulations.