Transgenic tilapia comprising a humanized insulin gene

摘要

In accordance with the present invention, there are provided humanized fish insulin genes. Humanized insulin the present invention encode human insulin alpha and/or beta chains while using fish-preferred codons and regulatory sequences. These humanized genes are thus expressible in fish islet cells. Also provided are transgenic fish having islet cells containing and capable of expressing humanized insulin genes. These islet cells (Brockmann Bodies) can be xenotransplanted into subjects having diabetes. In this manner normoglycemia can be achieved in the recipient of the islets.