Ductal cell reprogramming to insulin-producing beta-like cells as a potential beta cell replacement source for chronic pancreatitis.

Ductal cell reprogramming to insulin-producing beta-like cells as a potential beta cell replacement source for chronic pancreatitis. Curr Stem Cell Res Ther. 2018 Sep 17;: Authors: Jawahar AP, Narayanan S, Loganathan G, Pradeep J, Vitale GC, Hughes MG, Williams SK, Balamurugan AN Abstract Islet cell auto-transplantation is a novel strategy for maintaining blood glucose levels and improving the quality of life in patients with chronic pancreatitis (CP). Despite the many recent advances associated with this therapy, obtaining a good yield of islet infusate still remains a pressing challenge. Reprogramming technology, by making use of the pancreatic exocrine compartment, can open the possibility of generating novel insulin-producing cells. Several lineage-tracing studies present evidence that exocrine cells undergo dedifferentiation into a progenitor-like state from which they can be manipulated to form insulin-producing cells. This review will present an overview of recent reports that demonstrate the potential of utilizing pancreatic ductal cells (PDCs) for reprogramming into insulin-producing cells, focusing on the recent advances and the conflicting views. A large pool of ductal cells is released along with islets during the human islet isolation process, but these cells are separated from the pure islets during the purification process. By identifying and improving existing ductal cell culture methods and developing a better unders...
Source: Current Stem Cell Research and Therapy - Category: Stem Cells Authors: Tags: Curr Stem Cell Res Ther Source Type: research