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Key BIIR Papers
Noguchi, H., S. Matsumoto, M. Ueda, S. Hayashi, N. Kobayashi, A. Jackson, B. Naziruddin, and M.F. Levy. 2008. Method for isolation of mouse pancreatic stem cells. Transplant Proc 40:422-423.

Replacement of beta-cell mass offers an alternative to standard insulin treatment for diabetes and may overcome the long-term side effects associated with current therapies. Pancreatic stem/progenitor cells could become a useful target for beta-cell replacement therapy in diabetic patients. We have established a method for isolating mouse pancreatic stem cells. In this study, pancreatic stem cells were isolated from 8-week-old mice. After purification on a density gradient, the density range of 1.062-1.11 contained pancreatic stem cells. The islets from the layers were deleted by dithizone staining and hand-picking under a dissecting microscope. The remnant cells were then cultured, inoculated into 96-well plates, and cloned by limiting dilution. One of the wells contained cells, named HN#5 cells, which expressed ductal cell markers, such as cytokeratin-19. HN#5 cells differentiated into insulin-producing cells and albumin-producing cells by induction medium. The isolation technique described here may be useful for identification and isolation of human pancreatic stem/progenitor cells.