[HTML][HTML] Development of a conditionally immortalized human pancreatic β cell line

R Scharfmann, S Pechberty, Y Hazhouz… - The Journal of …, 2014 - Am Soc Clin Investig
R Scharfmann, S Pechberty, Y Hazhouz, M von Bülow, E Bricout-Neveu, M Grenier-Godard…
The Journal of clinical investigation, 2014Am Soc Clin Investig
Diabetic patients exhibit a reduction in β cells, which secrete insulin to help regulate glucose
homeostasis; however, little is known about the factors that regulate proliferation of these
cells in human pancreas. Access to primary human β cells is limited and a challenge for both
functional studies and drug discovery progress. We previously reported the generation of a
human β cell line (EndoC-βH1) that was generated from human fetal pancreas by targeted
oncogenesis followed by in vivo cell differentiation in mice. EndoC-βH1 cells display many …
Diabetic patients exhibit a reduction in β cells, which secrete insulin to help regulate glucose homeostasis; however, little is known about the factors that regulate proliferation of these cells in human pancreas. Access to primary human β cells is limited and a challenge for both functional studies and drug discovery progress. We previously reported the generation of a human β cell line (EndoC-βH1) that was generated from human fetal pancreas by targeted oncogenesis followed by in vivo cell differentiation in mice. EndoC-βH1 cells display many functional properties of adult β cells, including expression of β cell markers and insulin secretion following glucose stimulation; however, unlike primary β cells, EndoC-βH1 cells continuously proliferate. Here, we devised a strategy to generate conditionally immortalized human β cell lines based on Cre-mediated excision of the immortalizing transgenes. The resulting cell line (EndoC-βH2) could be massively amplified in vitro. After expansion, transgenes were efficiently excised upon Cre expression, leading to an arrest of cell proliferation and pronounced enhancement of β cell–specific features such as insulin expression, content, and secretion. Our data indicate that excised EndoC-βH2 cells are highly representative of human β cells and should be a valuable tool for further analysis of human β cells.
The Journal of Clinical Investigation