Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is an autoimmune disease that destroys β-cells, leading to reduced insulin production and disrupted blood sugar balance. While donor islet transplantation can restore glycemic control, donor shortages limit its availability. Generating β-cells from stem cells offers a promising alternative for transplantation therapy. This method provides a renewable source of β-cells.
Impact
Patients with T1D rely on exogenous insulin and continuous blood sugar monitoring, and they risk dangerous hypo- and hyperglycemic episodes. A renewable source of β-cells could expand islet transplantation availability and help restore glycemic balance in more patients.
reNEW research
We are in the preclinical phase, working on optimising our protocols that generate stem cell-derived β-cells. For example, one of the steps is improving purification of the product. The protocol generates cell clusters that can contain tube structures that are formed by ductal cells. As these are not needed for insulin production, we select clusters that are depleted of such structures.
Image description
After a month of differentiation, the product is depleted of ductal-rich clusters to generate a purified final stem cell derived product. The image shows a ductal-rich cluster (CK19+ cells, red, and E-cadherin, green).
Credits
Benjaminas Kaper, BSc, MSc student, Dr. Bahareh Rajaei, Postdoc, Islet lab (De Koning and Carlotti lab), reNEW Leiden.
