title: Use of in vitro-generated, stem cell-derived islets to cure type 1 diabetes: how close are we?
abstract: Recent successes in treating type 1 diabetic patients with islet transplantation portends a future need for an increase in available islets. Ductal structures of the adult pancreas contain multipotent stem cells that, under the proper in vitro conditions, can both self-renew and differentiate into functional islets of Langerhans. In vitro-generated islets exhibit temporal changes in mRNA transcripts for islet-associated markers as well as regulated insulin responses following glucose challenge. When implanted into diabetic mice, in vitro-generated islets induce neovascularization and reverse insulin-dependent diabetes. The possibility of growing functional endocrine pancreas from stem cells provides new opportunities to produce large numbers of islets, even autologous islets, for use as implants.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, Florida 32610, USA. peck@pathology.ufl.edu
authors.forename: A B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Peck
authors.forename: J G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Cornelius
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chaudhari
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Shatz
authors.forename: V K
authors.initials: VK
authors.lastname: Ramiya
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques / Q000379:methods; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D005314:Embryonic and Fetal Development; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000378:metabolism; D007515:Islets of Langerhans / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects; D016381:Islets of Langerhans Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D051379:Mice; D009536:Niacinamide / Q000494:pharmacology; D013004:Somatostatin / Q000378:metabolism; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology*
chemical_list: D007328:Insulin; D009536:Niacinamide; D013004:Somatostatin