title: Pancreas differentiation of mouse ES cells.
abstract: This unit describes the derivation of pancreatic cells from mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs). Mouse ESCs are pluripotent immortal cells derived from the inner cell mass of pre-implantation blastocyst-stage embryos that possess the ability to differentiate into any cell type within the adult animal. In vitro, ESCs can be differentiated into a variety of cell types representing derivatives of the three embryonic germ layers, mesoderm, endoderm, and ectoderm. Successfully differentiating ES cells to pancreatic cells has the potential to provide an alternative to cadaver-derived cells for treatment of type I diabetes. This unit outlines a method for the differentiation of ESCs toward pancreatic endoderm in serum-free medium from embryoid bodies (EBs) formed in suspension or spin EBs. In addition there is a protocol for maintaining ESC.
authors.affiliation: Monash University, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Suzanne J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Micallef
authors.forename: Xueling
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Andrew G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Elefanty
authors.forename: Edouard G
authors.initials: EG
authors.lastname: Stanley
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques / Q000379:methods; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D016895:Culture Media, Serum-Free; D053595:Embryonic Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D051379:Mice; D010179:Pancreas / Q000166:cytology*; D039904:Pluripotent Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology
chemical_list: D016895:Culture Media, Serum-Free