Researchers have studied all the stages of stem cell differentiation to pancreatic endocrine cells, so they will soon be able to obtain ready-made pancreatic cells in vitro.

This is reported on the web page "Cell Stem Cell".

Until now, endocrine cells could not be grown in culture, but a new study can bring scientists closer to realizing this valuable idea. The potential of such technology for the treatment of diabetes is simply limitless.

Doctor M. Sander and his colleagues at the University of California at San Diego compared the DNA and protein structure of natural pancreatic endocrine cells to cells that were derived from stem cells and matured in the mice.

They found that the endocrine cells ripened in mice were "virtually indistinguishable from human". Nevertheless, such cells still could not perform the endocrine function.

In a separate study, Dr. Sander and his team finally discovered a peculiar regulator of cell development, another group of Polycomb proteins that interfered with complete differentiation of endocrine cells. This study helped scientists to remove one more obstacle on the way to creating full-fledged pancreatic cells.

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