Role of TGF-β/Smad Pathway in the Transcription of Pancreas-Specific Genes During Beta Cell Differentiation.

ABSTRACT: Autoimmune destruction of pancreatic beta cells causes absolute insulin deficiency and results in type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM). The substitution of healthy pancreatic beta cells for damaged cells would be the ideal treatment for T1DM; thus, the generation of pancreatic beta cells from adult stem cells represents an attractive avenue for research. In this study, a cocktail of factors was used to induce the differentiation of pancreatic beta cells from mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). The differentiation program was divided into five stages, and the roles of the cocktail factors used during each stage were systematically elucidated. Activin A was found to phosphorylate Smad2 and Smad3 in stage III, thereby activating the TGF-β/Smad pathway. Meanwhile, the endocrine-specific transcription fa

SUBMITTER: Gao Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6933421 | biostudies-literature | 2019

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature