Author(s)

Gary G. Adams, Yu-Xin Cui

Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EG, UK.
Insulin Diabetes Experimental Research Group (IDER), Faculty of Medicine and Health Science, University of Nottingham, Clifton Boulevard, Nottingham, NG7 2UH UK.

Regeneration of transplantable pancreatic islet cells has been considered to be a promising alternative therapy for type 1 diabetes. Re-search has suggested that adult pancreatic stem and progenitor cells can be derived into insulin-producing cells or cultivated islet-like clusters given appropriate stimulating condi- tions. In this study we explored the effect of selective extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins on the potential of insulin-producing cell differen-tiation using ARIP cells, an adult rat pancreatic ductal epithelial cell line, as a model in vitro. Quantitative single cell morphology analysis indicated that all the four ECM proteins we have used (type I collagen, laminin, fibronectin and vitronectin) increased the single cell area and diameter of ARIP cells. In addition, se-rum-free cell cultivation was dependent on cell density and particular components; and serum could be replaced when systematic optimisa-tion could be performed. Surface treated with laminin was shown to be able to enhance overall cell expansion in the presence of de-fined serum-free medium conditions. Collagen treated surfaces enhanced insulin production in the presence of GLP-1 although the insulin gene expression was however weak accord-ingly. Our results suggest that selective ECM proteins have effects on single cell morphol-ogy, adhesion and proliferation of ARIP cells. These ECM molecules however do not have a potent effect on the insulin-producing cell dif-ferentiation potential of ARIP cells even com-bining with GLP-1.

Extracellular Matrix; Proliferation; Differentiation; ARIP Cells; Incretin GLP-1

Adams, G. and Cui, Y. (2009) Effects of extracellular matrix proteins on expansion, proliferation and insulin-producing-cell differentiation of ARIP cells. Journal of Biomedical Science and Engineering, 2, 216-226. doi: 10.4236/jbise.2009.24035.