An Abbreviated Protocol for In Vitro Generation of Functional Human Embryonic Stem Cell-Derived Beta-Like Cells

• Published in: PloS one 2016-10, Vol.11 (10), p.e0164457-e0164457
• Main Authors: Massumi, Mohammad, Pourasgari, Farzaneh, Nalla, Amarnadh, Batchuluun, Battsetseg, Nagy, Kristina, Neely, Eric, Gull, Rida, Nagy, Andras, Wheeler, Michael B
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Analysis; Animals; Axl protein; Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Transcription Factors - metabolism; Beta cells; Biology and Life Sciences; Bone morphogenetic proteins; Cell culture; Cell Differentiation; Cells, Cultured; Diabetes mellitus; Diabetes mellitus (insulin dependent); Diabetes therapy; Drug screening; Embryonic stem cells; Endoderm - cytology; Endoderm - metabolism; Extracellular matrix; Glucagon; Glucose; Glucose - pharmacology; Glucose metabolism; Homeodomain Proteins - metabolism; Human Embryonic Stem Cells - cytology; Human Embryonic Stem Cells - drug effects; Human Embryonic Stem Cells - metabolism; Humans; Incubation; Inhibition; Insulin; Insulin - metabolism; Insulin secretion; Insulin-Secreting Cells - cytology; Insulin-Secreting Cells - drug effects; Insulin-Secreting Cells - metabolism; Intracellular signalling; Laboratories; Medicine and Health Sciences; Metabolic flux; Metabolic Flux Analysis; Microscopy, Fluorescence; Mitochondria; Mitochondria - drug effects; Mitochondria - metabolism; Nerve Tissue Proteins - metabolism; Nkx6.1 protein; Pancreas; Peptides - pharmacology; Physical Sciences; Pluripotency; Protein-tyrosine kinase receptors; Research and Analysis Methods; Retinoic acid; Rodents; Secretion; Signal transduction; Stem cell transplantation; Stem cells; Transcription Factors - metabolism; Transforming Growth Factor beta - antagonists & inhibitors; Transforming Growth Factor beta - metabolism; Transforming growth factor-b; Transforming growth factors; Tretinoin - pharmacology; Type 1 diabetes; Tyrosine; Venoms - pharmacology
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0164457

The ability to yield glucose-responsive pancreatic beta-cells from human pluripotent stem cells in vitro will facilitate the development of the cell replacement therapies for the treatment of Type 1 Diabetes. Here, through the sequential in vitro targeting of selected signaling pathways, we have developed an abbreviated five-stage protocol (25-30 days) to generate human Embryonic Stem Cell-Derived Beta-like Cells (ES-DBCs). We showed that Geltrex, as an extracellular matrix, could support the generation of ES-DBCs more efficiently than that of the previously described culture systems. The activation of FGF and Retinoic Acid along with the inhibition of BMP, SHH and TGF-beta led to the generation of 75% NKX6.1+/NGN3+ Endocrine Progenitors. The inhibition of Notch and tyrosine kinase receptor AXL, and the treatment with Exendin-4 and T3 in the final stage resulted in 35% mono-hormonal insulin positive cells, 1% insulin and glucagon positive cells and 30% insulin and NKX6.1 co-expressing cells. Functionally, ES-DBCs were responsive to high glucose in static incubation and perifusion studies, and could secrete insulin in response to successive glucose stimulations. Mitochondrial metabolic flux analyses using Seahorse demonstrated that the ES-DBCs could efficiently metabolize glucose and generate intracellular signals to trigger insulin secretion. In conclusion, targeting selected signaling pathways for 25-30 days was sufficient to generate ES-DBCs in vitro. The ability of ES-DBCs to secrete insulin in response to glucose renders them a promising model for the in vitro screening of drugs, small molecules or genes that may have potential to influence beta-cell function.