ALLEGHENY-SINGER RESEARCH INSTITUTE

3 ARTICLES PUBLISHED IN JoVE

Immunology and Infection

Promoting 3-D Aggregation of FACS Purified Thymic Epithelial Cells with EAK 16-II/EAKIIH6 Self-assembling Hydrogel

Asako Tajima¹, Wen Liu², Isha Pradhan¹, Suzanne Bertera¹, Robert A. Lakomy¹, William A. Rudert¹, Massimo Trucco^1,3, Wilson S. Meng², Yong Fan^1,3

¹Institute of Cellular Therapeutics, Allegheny Health Network, ²Division of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Mylan School of Pharmacy, Duquesne University, ³Department of Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University

This video demonstrates a protocol to enrich thymic epithelial cells (TECs) with density gradient for FACS isolation. It also shows the use of EAK16-II/EAKIIH6 peptides to promote the TEC aggregate formation. The microenvironments of EAK16-II/EAKIIH6 hydrogel provide the 3-D configuration necessary to maintain the survival and function of the TECs.

Biology

A Method for Islet Transplantation to the Omentum in Mouse

Ying Lu^*1, Shangyou Zou^*1, Suzanne Bertera^*2, Rita Bottino², David K.C. Cooper³, Zhengzhao Liu¹, Yi Huang¹, Chengjun Wang¹, Chungu Hong¹, Tian He¹, Hancheng Zhang¹, Qin Huo⁴, Hongxing Fu⁵, Zhiming Cai¹, Lisha Mou¹

¹Shenzhen Xenotransplantation Medical Engineering Research and Development Center, Institute of Translational Medicine, Shenzhen Second People's Hospital, First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, Shenzhen University School of Medicine, Shenzhen University Health Science Center, ²Institute for Cellular Therapeutics, Allegheny-Singer Research Institute, ³Xenotransplantation Program/Department of Surgery, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, ⁴College of Life Science and Oceanography, Shenzhen University, ⁵School of Pharmcy, Wenzhou Medical College

A method for the omental transplantation of islets in a mouse is introduced. The isolated islets are mixed with hydrogel and the mixture is placed into the omental pouch of a diabetic mouse. Then, the blood glucose is monitored, and immuno-histochemical analysis is performed.

Medicine

Inguinal Subcutaneous White Adipose Tissue (ISWAT) Transplantation Model of Murine Islets

Yuanzheng Peng^*1, Zhicheng Zou^*1, Jiao Chen¹, Hancheng Zhang¹, Ying Lu¹, Rito Bittino², Hongxing Fu³, David K. C. Cooper⁴, Shan Lin¹, Mengtao Cao¹, Yifan Dai⁵, Zhiming Cai¹, Lisha Mou¹

¹Shenzhen Xenotransplantation Medical Engineering Research and Development Center, Institute of Translational Medicine, Shenzhen Second People's Hospital, First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, Health Science Center, ²Institute for Cellular Therapeutics, Allegheny-Singer Research Institute, ³School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, ⁴Xenotransplantation Program/Department of Surgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham, ⁵Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Xenotransplantation, Nanjing Medical University

In this protocol, a method of murine islet isolation and transplantation into the inguinal subcutaneous white adipose tissue is described. Isolated syngeneic murine islets are transplanted into a murine recipient using a basement membrane hydrogel. The blood glucose level of the recipients is monitored, and histology analysis of the islet grafts is performed.