A research team led by Professor Deng Hongkui from the School of Life Sciences at Peking University has made progress in the field of diabetes treatment. They have successfully differentiated human pluripotent stem cells into islet cells containing all five endocrine subtypes. These stem cell-derived islets exhibit a high response to changes in blood glucose levels. The related research results have been published in the journal Cell Stem Cell.
Islet transplantation derived from pluripotent stem cells provides a new direction for diabetes treatment. This technology utilizes the self-renewal and differentiation capabilities of stem cells to solve the problem of donor shortage in traditional islet transplantation. The research team has, for the first time, successfully constructed a complete islet structure containing five endocrine cell subtypes: α, β, δ, ε, and γ cells.
Experimental data show that these stem cell-derived islets demonstrate good blood glucose regulation in diabetic model mice and can effectively prevent hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia symptoms. The study confirmed that non-β cells, particularly α and δ cells, play an important role in preventing hypoglycemia caused by excessive insulin. Professor Deng Hongkui said: "The reconstructed islets can restore the body's counter-regulatory response to lower blood glucose."
The study established the first islet preparation system capable of precisely regulating the proportions of the five endocrine cell types. The research shows that the safety and effectiveness of islets depend not only on the number of β cells but also on the coordinated cooperation of various endocrine cell types. Integrating and balancing non-β endocrine cells is crucial for restoring bidirectional blood glucose control.
This breakthrough provides greater safety assurance for stem cell therapy in diabetes and accelerates the clinical translation process of cell therapy. Islet transplantation technology based on pluripotent stem cells is expected to bring new treatment options for patients with type 1 diabetes.
