TREATMENT OR REPLACEMENT THERAPY USING TRANSGENIC STEM CELLS DELIVERED TO THE GUT

摘要

The present invention is directed to methods for hormone delivery to patients suffering from a condition associated with a hormone deficiency. The method involves transducing stem cells, such as bone marrow derived stem cells, with a hormone gene under the control of a cell-type specific promoter such as the glucose-responsive GIP promoter, such that the hormone gene is expressed only after the stem cells differentiate into the cells which express the cell-type specific promoter, and administering the stem cells to the patient. A preferred embodiment of the present invention is the use of GIP-insulin gene expression in K cells of the gut to treat diabetes.