P30 | NEW INSIGHT IN THE IN VITRO-GENERATION OF INSULIN-PRODUCING CELLS: VAV1 AS A REGULATOR OF PDX1 AND MIR-375 LEVELS DURING DIFFERENTIATION OF HIPSCS INTO Β-CELLS

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is a chronic autoimmune disorder marked by the destruction of pancreatic β-cells, leading to impaired insulin production1. Transplantation of insulin-producing cells (IPCs) derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) represents a promising therapeutic strategy t...

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Published: PAGEPress Publications 2025-08-01
Series:European Journal of Histochemistry
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Online Access:https://www.ejh.it/ejh/article/view/4350
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description Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is a chronic autoimmune disorder marked by the destruction of pancreatic β-cells, leading to impaired insulin production1. Transplantation of insulin-producing cells (IPCs) derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) represents a promising therapeutic strategy to restore insulin levels in T1D patients. However, differentiation remains heterogeneous, and despite ongoing advances, the efficient production of fully functional β-cells continues to pose a significant challenge2. Among the signaling molecules implicated in IPCs generation, Vav1 has recently gained attention due to its expression in adult human β-cells and its essential role in generation of IPCs from biliary tree stem/progenitor cells (hBTSCs) and the transdifferentiation of pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PDAC)derived cells3. Based on these findings, this study investigated the role of Vav1 in the differentiation of hiPSCs into IPCs, focusing on its involvement in modulating key molecules associated with βcell development and function. We found that Vav1 exhibited dynamic expression during differentiation, peaking at the endocrine progenitor (EP) stage and declining in terminally differentiated β-like cells. Silencing Vav1 in endocrine progenitors led to reduced levels of insulin, PDX1, and miR-375, whereas Vav1 overexpression, prior to its natural decline, enhanced their expression. Additionally, in differentiating EP cells, Vav1 negatively regulated Akt, a key factor in β-cell survival, proliferation, apoptosis, and insulin secretion, known to be downregulated by miR-3754. These findings identify Vav1 as a pivotal regulator in the transition from pancreatic progenitors to mature IPCs, revealing a potential Vav1/PDX1/miR-375/Akt axis involved in insulin biosynthesis. This regulatory network may offer new opportunities to enhance the efficiency of in vitro β-cell generation for diabetes therapy in T1D patients.
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spelling doaj-art-a3134eafb64d43e7a769abf367fe22042025-08-23T11:19:01ZengPAGEPress PublicationsEuropean Journal of Histochemistry1121-760X2038-83062025-08-0169s210.4081/ejh.2025.4350P30 | NEW INSIGHT IN THE IN VITRO-GENERATION OF INSULIN-PRODUCING CELLS: VAV1 AS A REGULATOR OF PDX1 AND MIR-375 LEVELS DURING DIFFERENTIATION OF HIPSCS INTO Β-CELLS Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is a chronic autoimmune disorder marked by the destruction of pancreatic β-cells, leading to impaired insulin production1. Transplantation of insulin-producing cells (IPCs) derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) represents a promising therapeutic strategy to restore insulin levels in T1D patients. However, differentiation remains heterogeneous, and despite ongoing advances, the efficient production of fully functional β-cells continues to pose a significant challenge2. Among the signaling molecules implicated in IPCs generation, Vav1 has recently gained attention due to its expression in adult human β-cells and its essential role in generation of IPCs from biliary tree stem/progenitor cells (hBTSCs) and the transdifferentiation of pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PDAC)derived cells3. Based on these findings, this study investigated the role of Vav1 in the differentiation of hiPSCs into IPCs, focusing on its involvement in modulating key molecules associated with βcell development and function. We found that Vav1 exhibited dynamic expression during differentiation, peaking at the endocrine progenitor (EP) stage and declining in terminally differentiated β-like cells. Silencing Vav1 in endocrine progenitors led to reduced levels of insulin, PDX1, and miR-375, whereas Vav1 overexpression, prior to its natural decline, enhanced their expression. Additionally, in differentiating EP cells, Vav1 negatively regulated Akt, a key factor in β-cell survival, proliferation, apoptosis, and insulin secretion, known to be downregulated by miR-3754. These findings identify Vav1 as a pivotal regulator in the transition from pancreatic progenitors to mature IPCs, revealing a potential Vav1/PDX1/miR-375/Akt axis involved in insulin biosynthesis. This regulatory network may offer new opportunities to enhance the efficiency of in vitro β-cell generation for diabetes therapy in T1D patients. https://www.ejh.it/ejh/article/view/4350-
spellingShingle P30 | NEW INSIGHT IN THE IN VITRO-GENERATION OF INSULIN-PRODUCING CELLS: VAV1 AS A REGULATOR OF PDX1 AND MIR-375 LEVELS DURING DIFFERENTIATION OF HIPSCS INTO Β-CELLS
European Journal of Histochemistry
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title P30 | NEW INSIGHT IN THE IN VITRO-GENERATION OF INSULIN-PRODUCING CELLS: VAV1 AS A REGULATOR OF PDX1 AND MIR-375 LEVELS DURING DIFFERENTIATION OF HIPSCS INTO Β-CELLS
title_full P30 | NEW INSIGHT IN THE IN VITRO-GENERATION OF INSULIN-PRODUCING CELLS: VAV1 AS A REGULATOR OF PDX1 AND MIR-375 LEVELS DURING DIFFERENTIATION OF HIPSCS INTO Β-CELLS
title_fullStr P30 | NEW INSIGHT IN THE IN VITRO-GENERATION OF INSULIN-PRODUCING CELLS: VAV1 AS A REGULATOR OF PDX1 AND MIR-375 LEVELS DURING DIFFERENTIATION OF HIPSCS INTO Β-CELLS
title_full_unstemmed P30 | NEW INSIGHT IN THE IN VITRO-GENERATION OF INSULIN-PRODUCING CELLS: VAV1 AS A REGULATOR OF PDX1 AND MIR-375 LEVELS DURING DIFFERENTIATION OF HIPSCS INTO Β-CELLS
title_short P30 | NEW INSIGHT IN THE IN VITRO-GENERATION OF INSULIN-PRODUCING CELLS: VAV1 AS A REGULATOR OF PDX1 AND MIR-375 LEVELS DURING DIFFERENTIATION OF HIPSCS INTO Β-CELLS
title_sort p30 new insight in the in vitro generation of insulin producing cells vav1 as a regulator of pdx1 and mir 375 levels during differentiation of hipscs into β cells
topic -
url https://www.ejh.it/ejh/article/view/4350