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The discoveries of embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs; NEJM JW Gen Med Aug 26 2008) have sparked hope that new cells can be created to replace cells destroyed by disease. However, ESCs and iPSCs must be coaxed to become specific differentiated cells, and the factors for doing so are not well understood.
A team from the Harvard Stem Cell Institute reports that it has discovered a combination of factors that, when placed in the culture media around human stem cells, transforms them into functioning pancreatic β cells in a few weeks. These β cells promptly started to produce insulin in response to repeated glucose challenges both in vitro and when they were placed into diabetic mice. The cells restored normogl…