Researchers from The University of California, San Francisco, USA, have recently reported the efficient conversion of human adult skin cells into functional pancreatic β-like cells. Endodermal progenitor cells were first established from adult human fibroblasts using a non-integrative episomal reprogramming approach. The team then identified conditions that enabled the differentiation of these cells, first into posterior foregut-like progenitors and then into pancreatic endodermal progenitors. In vitro maturation of this latter progenitor cell type generated insulin-producing, glucose-responsive pancreatic β-like cells in high numbers. Upon transplantation in streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice, these β-like cells exhibited glucose-stimulated insulin secretion and afforded protection against diabetes mellitus. These findings bring islet regeneration in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus one step closer.
References
Zhu, S. et al. Human pancreatic beta-like cells converted from fibroblasts. Nat. Commun. 7, 10080 (2016)
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Holmes, D. Fibroblasts reprogrammed to produce insulin. Nat Rev Endocrinol 12, 126 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrendo.2016.5
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nrendo.2016.5