Premium
Pig‐to‐human xenotransplantation: The expression of Galα(l–3)Gal epitopes on pig islet cells
Author(s) -
McKenzie Ian F.C.,
Xing PeiXiang,
Sandrin Mauro S.,
Koulmanda Maria,
Mandel Tom E.
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
xenotransplantation
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.052
H-Index - 61
eISSN - 1399-3089
pISSN - 0908-665X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1399-3089.1995.tb00059.x
Subject(s) - islet , xenotransplantation , pancreas , biology , transplantation , medicine , endocrinology , glucagon , parenchyma , pancreatic islets , fetus , hormone , insulin , pregnancy , botany , genetics
Previous histological studies of porcine tissues using the Galα(l–3)Gal specific lectin, IB4‐biotin, and an immunoperoxidase technique demonstrated the widespread distribution of Galα(l–3)Gal in pigs—particularly in the endothelium of all vessels and in the parenchyma of liver and kidney. An exception was the endocrine (islets) and exocrine tissue of the pig pancreas—adult islets did not express Galα(l–3)Gal and apart from ducts, and the exocrine pancreas was also nonreactive. Because of the potential use of islet xenotransplantation for the treatment of diabetes, a more extensive study was undertaken of fetal pancreas and of cultured islet cell clusters. Like the adult pancreas, islets from fetuses at term or earlier, essentially did not express Galα(l–3)Gal; however, during culture, under a variety of conditions, they became strongly reactive with IB4 and expressed large amounts of Galα(l–3)Gal. Staining for pancreatic hormones (insulin, glucagon, and somatostatin) demonstrated that true islets were being examined, although double staining for insulin and Galα(l,3)Gal indicated that cells secreting insulin were not Galα(l–3)Gal positive. The origin of the Galα(l–3)Gal + cells is not apparent, nor is whether they are precursors of hormone secreting cells. It was of interest that, after transplantation to nude mice and allowing for maturation, the islets resembled the adult phenotype and were Galα(l–3)Gal negative. The implications of the findings are not clear but indicate that some cells in the cultured fetal islet (other than insulin secreting cells) could be the target of antibody mediated destruction.