Endodermal progenitor cells (EPCs) as an extensive source for human endocrine beta-cells

Human pluripotent stem cells are a promising and unlimited source for any kind of differentiated tissue cell. Since over 350 million people worldwide suffer from diabetes, there is a strong need for cell or organ replacement of the pancreas. To avoid labour-intensive and teratoma-risking differentiation from point zero in every experiment, we exploited the establishment of EPCs, a self-renewing progenitor cell line from definitive endoderm. EPCs are sorted by specific surface markers, verified by expression of distinct transcriptions factors and kept in a complicated culture system. EPC lines from embryonic stem…