Pancreas from stem cells – the first successes

Researchers working under the leadership of Dr. Hans Clevers from the Nabrecht Institute, the Netherlands, for the first time isolated and grew stem cells in a three-dimensional culture that can differentiate into two types of cells that form the pancreas.

According to Dr. Clevers, this achievement was made possible thanks to the method developed by his group for activating signaling mechanisms mediated by signaling molecules of the Wnt class and the Lgr5 protein. These mechanisms, usually inactive in the adult pancreas, are necessary for the formation of adult stem cells capable of rapid growth and division.

The proposed approach makes it possible, by changing the cultivation conditions, to direct the differentiation of stem cells in two directions and obtain large quantities of both insulin-producing beta cells and pancreatic duct cells. The authors even managed to grow tiny fragments of tissue called pancreatic organoids.

Klevers notes that the work is still at an early stage and additional experiments are needed to apply the approach to human cell culture. At the same time, the results obtained are very promising.

To date, the possibilities of treating pancreatic diseases are very limited, including a shortage of donor material and a high probability of rejection of the transplanted organ. Therefore, if successful, the authors' work can open up new horizons for the treatment of diseases of this vital organ.

Article by Meritxell Huch et al. Unlimited in vitro expansion of adult bi-potential pancreas progenitors through the Lgr5/R-spondin axis is published in The EMBO Journal.

Evgeniya Ryabtseva
Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru based on the materials of the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO):
Pancreatic stem cells isolated from mice.

18.09.2013