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Abstract Background Pancreatic duodenal homeobox-1 (Pdx-1) or Pdx-1-VP16 gene transfer has been shown to induce in vitro rat liver-stem WB cell conversion into pancreatic endocrine precursor cells. High glucose conditions were necessary for further differentiation into functional insulin-producing cells. Pdx-1 has the ability to permeate different cell types due to an inherent protein transduction domain (PTD). In this study, we evaluated liver-to-pancreas conversion of WB cells following Pdx-1 or Pdx-1-VP16 protein transduction. Findings WB cells were grown in high glucose medium containing Pdx-1 or Pdx-1-VP16 recombinant proteins for two weeks. β-like cell commitment was analysed by RT-PCR of pancreatic endocrine genes. We found that WB cells in high glucose culture spontaneously express pancreatic endocrine genes (Pdx-1, Ngn3, Nkx2.2, Kir6.2). Their further differentiation into β-like cells expressing genes related to endocrine pancreas development (Ngn3, NeuroD, Pax4, Nkx2.2, Nkx6.1, Pdx-1) and β-cell function (Glut-2, Kir6.2, insulin) was achieved only in the presence of Pdx-1(-VP16) protein. Conclusion These results demonstrate that Pdx-1(-VP16) protein transduction is instrumental for in vitro liver-to-pancreas conversion and is an alternative to gene therapy for β-cell engineering for diabetes cell therapy.

Abstract Background Liver-to-pancreas conversion offers new possibilities for β-cell engineering for type 1 diabetes therapy. Among conceivable sources of liver cells, we focused on BMEL cells. These untransformed mouse embryonic liver cells have been reproducibly isolated from different inbred mice strains and have the potential to differentiate into hepatocytes and cholangiocytes in vitro and in vivo. Findings Strikingly, we find here that adherent BMEL cells display functional similarities with multipotent pancreatic precursor cells, namely Pdx1 and Ngn3 expression, and further express Hnf6 in floating aggregate culture. Hes1, a direct repressor of Ngn3 and pancreatic endocrine commitment, is expressed in adherent BMEL cells and decreases with time in aggregate culture. However, Hes1 decrease fails to initiate activation of late-stage pancreatic endocrine transcription factors. Conclusion Here we report that BMEL cells present features of pancreatic endocrine progenitor cells. In the field of diabetes research, BMEL cells are of potential interest for the study of inductive signals critical for in vitro β-cell maturation in-liver-to-pancreas conversion.

Background: Pancreatic duodenal homeobox-1 (Pdx-1) or Pdx-1-VP16 gene transfer has been shown to induce in vitro rat liver-stem WB cell conversion into pancreatic endocrine precursor cells. High glucose conditions were necessary for further differentiation into functional insulin-producing cells. Pdx-1 has the ability to permeate different cell types due to an inherent protein transduction domain (PTD). In this study, we evaluated liver-to-pancreas conversion of WB cells following Pdx-1 or Pdx-1-VP16 protein transduction., Findings: WB cells were grown in high glucose medium containing Pdx-1 or Pdx-1-VP16 recombinant proteins for two weeks. beta-like cell commitment was analysed by RT-PCR of pancreatic endocrine genes. We found that WB cells in high glucose culture spontaneously express pancreatic endocrine genes (Pdx-1, Ngn3, Nkx2.2, Kir6.2). Their further differentiation into beta-like cells expressing genes related to endocrine pancreas development (Ngn3, NeuroD, Pax4, Nkx2.2, Nkx6.1, Pdx-1) and beta-cell function (Glut-2, Kir6.2, insulin) was achieved only in the presence of Pdx-1(-VP16) protein., Conclusion: These results demonstrate that Pdx-1(-VP16) protein transduction is instrumental for in vitro liver-to-pancreas conversion and is an alternative to gene therapy for beta-cell engineering for diabetes cell therapy.