Fusion of mesenchymal stem cells and islet cells for cell therapy.

Auxiliary use of mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) to islet transplantation is shown to enhance efficacy. We hypothesized cell fusion of islet cells and MSCs may provide a new cell source with robustness of MSCs and islet cell function. We succeeded electrofusion between dispersed islet cells and MSCs in rats and fused cells sustained beta-cell function in vitro and in vivo, suggesting their possibility of therapeutic application. Here, we describe our method of cell fusion that enabled us to fuse islet cells to MSCs.