Stem Cell-Derived Insulin-Producing Cells in 3D Engineered Tissue in a Perfusion Flow Bioreactor.

To circumvent the lack of donor pancreas, insulin-producing cells (IPCs) derived from pluripotent stem cells emerged as a viable cell source for the treatment of type 1 diabetes. While it has been shown that IPCs can be derived from pluripotent stem cells using various protocols, the long-term viability and functional stability of IPCs remains a challenge. Thus, the principles of three-dimensional (3D) tissue engineering and a perfusion flow bioreactor were used in this study to establish 3D microenvironment suitable for long-term culture of IPCs-derived from mouse embryonic stem cells.