Generating Insulin-Producing Cells from Human Pancreatic Beta Cells
Author Information
Author(s): Russ Holger A., Sintov Elad, Anker-Kitai Leeat, Friedman Orr, Lenz Ayelet, Toren Ginat, Farhy Chen, Pasmanik-Chor Metsada, Oron-Karni Varda, Ravassard Philippe, Efrat Shimon
Primary Institution: Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
Hypothesis
Can expanded dedifferentiated beta cells be induced to redifferentiate into insulin-producing cells?
Conclusion
Expanded dedifferentiated beta cells can be induced to redifferentiate in culture, suggesting a promising approach for generating insulin-producing cells for transplantation.
Supporting Evidence
- Redifferentiated cells expressed beta-cell genes and released insulin in response to glucose.
- Lineage tracing showed that the majority of insulin-producing cells originated from redifferentiated beta cells.
- Redifferentiation involved a transition from a mesenchymal to an epithelial phenotype.
Takeaway
Scientists found a way to make more insulin-producing cells from human pancreas cells by changing how they grow them in the lab.
Methodology
The study involved expanding human pancreatic beta cells in vitro and then inducing their redifferentiation using a specific cocktail of soluble factors.
Potential Biases
Potential bias in the selection of donor islets and the variability in individual donor responses.
Limitations
The redifferentiation process only restored the phenotype in a fraction of the expanded cells, and the efficiency decreased with passaging.
Participant Demographics
Islet cells were derived from 42 human donors, with varying ages and sex.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.05
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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