Protocol for Studying Reprogramming of Mouse Pancreatic Acinar Cells to β-like Cells

The potential of reprogrammed β cells derived from pancreatic exocrine cells to treat diabetes has been demonstrated in animal models. However, the precise mechanisms and regulators involved in this process are not clear. Here, we describe a method that allows mechanistic studies of this process in primary exocrine cultures using adenoviral expression vectors. This rapid 5-day protocol, provides the researcher with a highly controlled experimental system in which the effects of different compounds or genetic manipulations can be studied. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Elhanani et al. (2020).