Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 9, 2026

In Vitro Colony Assays for Characterizing Tri-potent Progenitor Cells Isolated from the Adult Murine Pancreas
09:31

In Vitro Colony Assays for Characterizing Tri-potent Progenitor Cells Isolated from the Adult Murine Pancreas

Published on: June 10, 2016

Biliary tree stem cells, precursors to pancreatic committed progenitors: evidence for possible life-long pancreatic

Yunfang Wang1, Giacomo Lanzoni, Guido Carpino

  • 1Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, Program in Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Lineberger Cancer Center, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA.

Stem Cells (Dayton, Ohio)
|July 13, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Bile duct stem cells can differentiate into pancreatic cells, forming functional neoislets. These engineered pancreatic tissues can treat diabetes by regulating blood glucose levels in mice.

Area of Science:

  • Stem cell biology
  • Developmental biology
  • Endocrinology

Background:

  • Peribiliary glands (PBGs) and pancreatic duct glands (PDGs) form a continuous cell network.
  • These glands contain cells with overlapping maturational lineages, suggesting a developmental link.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the maturational lineages and stem cell potential of PBGs and PDGs.
  • To explore the possibility of generating functional pancreatic tissue from these cells for therapeutic applications.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of cell markers for pluripotency, proliferation, and differentiation in PBGs and PDGs.
  • In vitro culture of biliary tree-derived and pancreas-derived cells.
  • Differentiation of cells into neoislets using specific culture conditions.
  • Implantation of neoislets into diabetic mice to assess efficacy.

Main Results:

  • Biliary tree-derived cells exhibit stem cell characteristics and act as precursors to pancreatic progenitors.
  • Engineered neoislets derived from these cells possess ultrastructural and functional characteristics of natural islets.
  • Implanted neoislets secreted human C-peptide, regulated glucose, and alleviated hyperglycemia in diabetic mice.

Conclusions:

  • Biliary tree-derived stem cells and their progenitor connections offer a framework for pancreatic organogenesis.
  • These findings open avenues for regenerative medicine strategies in treating diabetes.

Keywords:
biliary tree stem cellsmaturational lineagesorganogenesispancreaspancreatic duct glandsperibiliary glands

More Related Videos

In Vitro Pancreas Organogenesis from Dispersed Mouse Embryonic Progenitors08:35

In Vitro Pancreas Organogenesis from Dispersed Mouse Embryonic Progenitors

Published on: July 19, 2014

Isolation of CD133+ Liver Stem Cells for Clonal Expansion12:06

Isolation of CD133+ Liver Stem Cells for Clonal Expansion

Published on: October 10, 2011

Related Concept Videos

Tissue Renewal without Stem Cells01:23

Tissue Renewal without Stem Cells

After cellular or tissue damage, the resident stem cells present in the human body can locally repair and regenerate the damaged tissue or organ. However, even though some tissues do not have stem cells, they can repair and regenerate with the help of pre-existing cells. For example, beta cells of the pancreas and hepatocytes of the liver can divide to renew and regenerate the tissue. Here, both cell division and cell death are well regulated by homeostasis.
However, failure of such a system...
Adult Stem Cells01:33

Adult Stem Cells

Stem cells are undifferentiated cells that divide and produce more stem cells or progenitor cells that differentiate into mature, specialized cell types. All the cells in the body are generated from stem cells in the early embryo, but small populations of stem cells are also present in many adult tissues including the bone marrow, brain, skin, and gut. These adult stem cells typically produce the various cell types found in that tissue—to replace cells that are damaged or to continuously renew...
Renewal of Intestinal Stem Cells01:23

Renewal of Intestinal Stem Cells

The intestinal epithelial lining rapidly renews every 4 to 5 days. The renewal is facilitated by intestinal stem cells (ISCs) located at the base of the crypt– a gland located at the bottom of each villus. ISCs divide asymmetrically to form new stem cells and progenitor daughter cells. The daughter cells are called transit-amplifying (TA) cells which move upwards along the crypt and either differentiate into absorptive cells– the enterocytes or secretory cells– including the goblet,...
Source And Potency Of Stem Cells01:27

Source And Potency Of Stem Cells

Stem cells are undifferentiated cells with extensive self-renewal properties that help them maintain their population during the fetal and adult stages of life. They can specialize in all cell types of the human body. However, their differential potential may vary and can be classified into five types. Stem cells can be (1) Totipotent, (2) Pluripotent, (3) Multipotent, (4) Oligopotent, and (5) Unipotent. Each stem cell has a specific origin; the fertilized egg or zygote is a totipotent cell and...