Differentiation of pancreatic stem and progenitor β-cells into insulin secreting cells in mice with diabetes mellitus.

We studied in vitro differentiation of pancreatic stem and progenitor cells into insulin secreting cells in the model of streptozotocin-induced diabetes in C57Bl/6 mice. Streptozotocin was shown to increase the population of pancreatic oligopotent β-cell precursors (CD45(-), TER119(-), CD133(+), and CD49f(low)) and did not affect multipotent (stem) progenitor cells (CD45(-), TER119(-), CD17(-), CD309(-)). During long-term culturing, diabetic multipotent progenitor cells showed high capacity for self-renewal. A population of dithizone-positive (insulin secreting cells) mononuclear cells was obtained releasing insulin after prolonged culturing in suspension enriched with diabetic CD45(-), TER119(-), CD17(-), and CD309(-) cells. The rate of generation of "new" insulin-producing cells and insulin release in the samples of experimental group considerably exceeded activity of the corresponding processes in the control group.