Taste Bud-Derived Stem Cells in Humans

OBJECTIVES AND SPECIFIC AIMS: The objectives of this proof-of-concept study are: (1) to investigate whether stem cells, normally present in tongue epithelium at the base of taste buds, can be propagated in the lab; if it is, then we wish (2) to investigate whether the stem cells can be differentiated into glucose-responsive insulin-secreting cells; (3) to investigate if the number of lingual-derived stem cells and their propagation rate are affected by age; (4) to investigate if the differentiation capability of the stem cells changes as a factor of aging. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN AND METHODS: Ninety participants, thirty in each age group: ages 18-39 years, 40-59 years and 60 years old or older will be recruited for this pilot study. Of the thirty participants in each age group, fifteen will be men and fifteen will be women. Each eligible participant will have up to 5 fungiform papillae biopsied on the anterior part of the tongue during Visit 1. MEDICAL RELEVANCE AND EXPECTED OUTCOME: The development of this technique and its standardization to harvest these stem cells in humans is important for future therapeutic interventions, and may be an invaluable method for assessing novel cell based regenerative treatments for diabetes.