Pancreatic Beta Cell Differentiation From Human Pluripotent Stem Cells

Insulin-expressing beta cells are crucial for the maintenance of systemic glucose homeostasis. Elucidation of the molecular and cellular mechanisms of beta cell development, expansion, survival, and function are required for full understanding of the molecular pathogenesis of diabetes. However, access to human beta cells for such studies is limited by virtue of the logistics of acquisition, prior medical status of donor, and imperfect culture systems for maintaining beta cell identity and function after isolation from human pancreas. Here, a technique for generation of beta cells from human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) by modification of key signaling pathways during islet development is described. Up to 70% C-peptide-positive beta cells can be obtained from endodermal anlagen after 27 days of differentiation with specific growth factors and small molecules. Although 50% of them are monohormonal C-peptide-positive cells and have molecular and cellular characteristics consistent with human beta cells in the Islets of Langerhans, a sub-population co-expressing other endocrine markers are also generated, indicating the immaturity of these cells. © 2018 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.