Differentiation of COPAS-sorted non-endocrine pancreatic cells into insulin-positive cells in the mouse.

ABSTRACT:

Aims/hypothesis

The regenerative process in the pancreas is of particular interest, since insulin-producing beta cells are lost in diabetes. Differentiation of new beta cells from pancreatic non-endocrine cells has been reported in vivo and in vitro, a finding that implies the existence of pancreatic stem/progenitor cells. However, while tissue-specific stem cells are well documented in skin, intestine and testis, pancreatic stem cells have been elusive. We hypothesised that pancreatic stem/progenitor cells within the non-endocrine fraction could be a source of new islets in vitro.

Methods

To test if there were such cells within the pancreas, we generated pancreatic cell aggregates from tissue remaining after islet isolation from mouse insulin promoter 1-green fluorescent pr

SUBMITTER: Kikugawa R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4336153 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature