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Updated: Dec 15, 2025
Differentiation of Human Pluripotent Stem Cells Into Pancreatic Beta-Cell Precursors in a 2D Culture System
Published on: December 16, 2021
Functional β-Cell Differentiation of Small-Tail Han Sheep Pancreatic Mesenchymal Stem Cells and the Therapeutic
Shuang Zhang, Jiahui Yin1, Hongbing Ji1
1Department of Animal Genetic Resources, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China.
Objectives:
This study aims to investigate the characteristics of sheep pancreatic mesenchymal stem cells (PSCs) and therapeutic potential of differentiated β-like cells in streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice.
Methods:
Pancreatic mesenchymal stem cells were isolated from 3- to 4-month-old sheep embryos, and their biological characteristics were explored. The function and therapeutic potential of differentiated β-like insulin-producing cells were also investigated in vitro and in vivo. Differentiated cells were identified through dithizone staining and immunofluorescence staining. Insulin secretion was analyzed using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit. The preliminary therapeutic potential of induced β-like cells in diabetic mice was detected by blood glucose and body weight.
Results:
Primary PSCs were isolated and subcultured up to passage 36. Immunofluorescence staining presented PSC-expressed important markers such as Pdx1, Nkx6-1, Ngn3, and Nestin. Primary PSCs could be induced into functional pancreatic β-like islet cells with a 3-step protocol. The induced β-like islet cells could ameliorate blood glucose in diabetic mice.
Conclusions:
The method proposed for generating pancreatic islet β cells provided a preliminary phenotypic investigation of induced cell treatment in diabetic mice, and also laid a foundation in the identification of pharmaceutical targets to treat insulin-dependent diabetes.
