Expansion and Maintenance of CD133-Expressing Pancreatic Ductal Epithelial Cells by Inhibition of TGF-β Signaling

Restoring β-cell mass by the transplantation of pancreatic islets is an effective diabetes treatment, but it is limited by the shortage of donor organs. CD133-expressing pancreatic ductal epithelial cells (PDECs) have the ability to generate insulin-producing cells. The expansion of these cells is dependent on extrinsic niche factors, but few of those signals have been identified. In this study, CD133-expressing PDECs were purified by sorting from adult wild-type C57BL/6 mice and TGFβRII