Fibronectin and laminin promote differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells into insulin producing cells through activating Akt and ERK

Islet transplantation provides a promising cure for Type 1 diabetes; however it is limited by a shortage of pancreas donors. Bone marrow-derived multipotent mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) offer renewable cells for generating insulin-producing cells (IPCs). Methods: We used a four-stage differentiation protocol, containing neuronal differentiation and IPC-conversion stages, and combined with pellet suspension culture to induce IPC differentiation. Results: Here, we report adding extracellular matrix proteins (ECM) such as fibronectin (FN) or laminin (LAM) enhances pancreatic differentiation with...