Bone marrow cells produce nerve growth factor and promote angiogenesis around transplanted islets

Islet transplantation is a promising treatment for type 1 diabetes mellitus. The promotion of angiogenesis is an important endeavor to prevent islet graft failure. Endothelial precursor cells (EPCs), a heterogeneous group originating in the hematopoietic compartment of bone marrow, have an important role in the angiogenesis of adult tissues. Transplanted EPCs induce hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) under hypoxic conditions which leads to upregulation of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and promotes vascularization. Nerve growth factor (NGF), which plays an important role in promoting growth, differentiation and function of nerve cells has been shown to have an important role in angiogenesis by stimulating VEGF. Moreover, NGF is secreted by islets and may have a beneficial effect on islet function.

This research, lead by Dr. Eba Hathout and her colleagues in Loma Linda University School of Medicine, has recently published on March 14, 2010 in the World Journal of Gastroenterology. They focused on NGF levels and its effects to clarify the mechanism of angiogenesis brought by bone marrow cell transplantation.

They found that NGF may have a role in islet transplantation by promoting angiogenesis and preventing hypoxia at the early post-transplant period. However, this remains to be tested and reproduced in appropriate trials.

Reference: Sakata N, Chan NK, Chrisler J, Obenaus A, Hathout E. Bone marrow cells produce nerve growth factor and promote angiogenesis around transplanted islets. World J Gastroenterol 2010; 16(10): 1215-1220 http://www.wjgnet.com/1007-9327/full/v16/i10/1215.htm

Correspondence to: Eba Hathout, MD, Professor, Chief, Director, Division of Pediatric Endocrinology, Pediatric Diabetes Center and Islet Transplant Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, Loma Linda University School of Medicine, 11175 Campus Street, Coleman Pavilion, A1120R, Loma Linda, CA 92354, United States. ehathout@llu.edu Telephone: +1-909-5584773 Fax: +1-909-5580479

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World Journal of Gastroenterology (WJG), a leading international journal in gastroenterology and hepatology, has established a reputation for publishing first class research on esophageal cancer, gastric cancer, liver cancer, viral hepatitis, colorectal cancer, and H pylori infection and provides a forum for both clinicians and scientists. WJG has been indexed and abstracted in Current Contents/Clinical Medicine, Science Citation Index Expanded (also known as SciSearch) and Journal Citation Reports/Science Edition, Index Medicus, MEDLINE and PubMed, Chemical Abstracts, EMBASE/Excerpta Medica, Abstracts Journals, Nature Clinical Practice Gastroenterology and Hepatology, CAB Abstracts and Global Health. ISI JCR 2008 IF: 2.081. WJG is a weekly journal published by WJG Press. The publication dates are the 7th, 14th, 21st, and 28th day of every month. WJG is supported by The National Natural Science Foundation of China, No. 30224801 and No. 30424812, and was founded with the name of China National Journal of New Gastroenterology on October 1, 1995, and renamed WJG on January 25, 1998.

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