Pure Insulin-producing Cells Produced In Mice

From ScienceDaily— Singapore researchers have developed an unlimited number of pure insulin-producing cells from mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs). With the explosion of diabetes as a medical problem, this is good news.

These pure insulin-producing cells, which according to electron microscopy studies, have the same sub-cellular structures as the insulin-producing cells naturally found in the pancreas, were highly effective in treating diabetes in the mouse model.

None of the diabetic mice involved in the transplant experiments developed teratoma, which are a type of tumour often associated with ESCs and which could complicate their use in human therapeutic treatment.

Furthermore, the pure insulin-producing cells managed to retain their insulin-production and glucose-sensing capacity over time. The Singapore researchers' achievement provides proof of principle that this strategy could be applied to human ESCs to obtain similar pure insulin-producing cells.

Researchers in Singapore have made transplants of pure insulin-producing cells into diabetic mice, reducing blood glucose levels in the mice. (Credit: iStockphoto)