Differentiation and migration of neural crest stem cells are stimulated by pancreatic islets.
Neural crest stem cells (NCSCs) migrate during embryonic development towards the endoderm-derived pancreas and the interaction between NCSCs and beta-cell progenitors is crucial for their mutual differentiation. In diabetes, loss of beta-cells or impaired beta-cell function is accompanied by nerve degeneration, which contributes to the progression of the disease. Here we show that adult pancreatic islets markedly promote differentiation of NCSCs towards neuronal phenotype in vitro and in vivo after transplantation and increase their migration towards islets. These findings indicate that pancreatic islets can be used to promote differentiation of NCSCs towards neuronal phenotype and that this in-vitro system may help elucidate interactions between NCSCs and healthy or diseased beta-cells.
Department of Neuroscience, Uppsala University Biomedical Center, Uppsala, Sweden. Elena.Kozlova@anatomi.uu.se
Elena N
EN
Kozlova
Leif
L
Jansson
D000818:Animals; D002450:Cell Communication / Q000502:physiology; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology*; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000502:physiology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003929:Diabetic Neuropathies / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005727:Ganglia, Spinal / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology / Q000502:physiology; D006085:Graft Survival / Q000502:physiology; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D050417:Insulin-Secreting Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D007515:Islets of Langerhans / Q000294:innervation / Q000378:metabolism; D016381:Islets of Langerhans Transplantation / Q000379:methods / Q000502:physiology*; D007668:Kidney / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D009410:Nerve Degeneration / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000378:metabolism; D009432:Neural Crest / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D055495:Neurogenesis / Q000502:physiology; D018874:Spheroids, Cellular; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*
D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; C485184:enhanced green fluorescent protein; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins