Generation of Stem Cell-Derived β Cells from Type 1 Diabetic Patients

We recently reported the scalable in vitro production of functional stem cell-derived β cells. Here we extend this approach to generate SC-β cells from Type 1 diabetic patients (T1D), a cell type that is destroyed during disease progression and has not been possible to extensively study. These cells express β cell markers, respond to glucose both in vitro and in vivo, prevent alloxan-induced diabetes in mice, and respond to anti-diabetic drugs. Furthermore, we use an in vitro disease model to demonstrate the cells respond to different forms of β cell stress. Using these assays, we find no major differences in T1D SC-β cells compared to SC-β cells derived from non-diabetic patients (ND). These results show that T1D SC-β cells can be used for the treatment of diabetes, drug screening, and the study of β cell biology. Differentiated cells were sorted and processed for RNA isolation using the MARIS protocol published previously (PMID: 24516164.) Human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC) line were differentiated into SC-beta cells or dysfunctional, polyhormonal cells (PH). Four biological replicates were assessed with differentiation to both SC-beta and PH cells. Those data were normalized together with and compared to existing, previously published data from Hrvatin et al. (PMID: 24516164) and Pagliuca et al. (PMID: 25303535) from human islet-derived insulin+ cells, undifferentiated HUES8 hES cells, SC-beta cells derived from HUES8 and PH cells derived from HUES8 according to previously published protocols.