Overview
- Researchers engineered human embryonic stem cell–derived gastric organoids with an inducible NEUROG3–PDX1–MAFA switch and reported the results in Stem Cell Reports.
- After transplantation into mice, the grafts survived up to six months and integrated with host tissues, including vascular connections.
- Activation of the genetic program produced insulin-secreting cells that expressed key human beta-cell markers, and human insulin was detected in recipient serum.
- In diabetic mice, blood glucose normalized for roughly six weeks following induction, though durable long-term glycemic control was not achieved.
- The work advances prior mouse-only studies by demonstrating human tissue conversion in vivo and suggests potential for autologous strategies subject to safety, durability, immune, and scalability assessments.