Abstract

Regenerating human islet organoids from stem cells remains a significant challenge because of our limited knowledge on cues essential for developing the endocrine organoids in vitro. In this study, we discovered that a natural material prepared from a decellularized rat pancreatic extracellular matrix (dpECM) induces the self-assembly of human islet organoids during induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) pancreatic differentiation. For the first time, we demonstrated that the iPSC-derived islet organoids formed in the presence of the dpECM are capable of glucose-responsive secretion of both insulin and glucagon, two major hormones that maintain blood glucose homeostasis. The characterization of the organoids revealed that the organoids consisted of all major endocrine cell types, including α, β, δ, and pancreatic polypeptide cells, that were assembled into a tissue architecture similar to that of human islets. The exposure of iPSCs to the dpECM during differentiation resulted in considerably elevated expression of key pancreatic transcription factors such as PDX-1, MAFA, and NKX6.1 and the production of all major hormones, including insulin, glucagon, somatostatin, and pancreatic polypeptide from stem cell-derived organoids. This study highlights the importance of natural, bioactive biomaterials for building microenvironments crucial to regenerating islet organoids from stem cells.

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call

Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.