Engineered vasculature induces functional maturation of pluripotent stem cell-derived islet organoids
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ABSTRACT: Blood vessels play a critical role in pancreatic islet function, yet current methods for deriving islet organoids from human pluripotent stem cells (SC-islets) lack vasculature. We engineered 3D vascularized SC-islet organoids by assembling SC-islet cells, human primary endothelial cells (ECs) and fibroblasts in a non-perfused model and a microfluidic device with perfused vessels. Vasculature improved stimulus-dependent Ca2+ influx into SC-β-cells, a hallmark of β-cell function that is blunted in non-vascularized SC-islets. Furthermore, vascularization accelerated diabetes reversal post-engraftment of a subtherapeutic SC-islet dose. We show that vasculature leads to formation of an islet-like basement membrane that contributes to functional improvement of SC-β-cells. Furthermore, scRNA-seq data predicted BMP2/4-BMPR2 signaling from ECs to SC-β cells, and correspondingly, BMP4 enhanced the SC-β cell Ca2+ response and insulin secretion. Vascularized SC-islets will enable further studies of crosstalk between β-cells and ECs and will serve as an in vitro platform for disease modeling and therapeutic testing.
ORGANISM(S): Homo sapiens
PROVIDER: GSE276815 | GEO | 2025/08/20
REPOSITORIES: GEO
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