Novel pancreas organoid developed

An organoid containing all three pancreatic cell lineages has been developed for the first time, providing a clearer picture of how the pancreas develops.

Organoids can help us better understand development and disease; however, for this to happen, they have to be accurate. Now, for the first time, researchers from the Organoid Group at the Hubrecht Institute (Utrecht, Netherlands) have developed an organoid that mimics a human fetal pancreas, including the three key cell types found in the pancreas. The finding has provided new insights into the human fetal pancreas and its development.

The pancreas, an organ that helps digestion and regulates blood sugar, relies on three main types of cells: acinar cells, ductal cells and endocrine cells. Researchers have previously developed pancreas organoids to better understand how the pancreas works; however, most of these organoids were only made up of one cell type.

“We wanted to create an organoid that includes all the cell types found in a real pancreas,” explained first author Amanda Andersson Rolf. “With such an organoid, we could study how these different cells interact and gain a deeper understanding of how the pancreas develops.”

Even amongst beta cells, there’s an alpha

A recent study identified that a special group of pancreatic beta cells are crucial for triggering the blood sugar response.

The researchers used fetal pancreas samples to develop an organoid that mimics the human pancreas in its fetal stage. They found that the organoid contained a new type of stem cell that can develop into all three cell types. Not only did the cells form, but they also performed their expected functions.

The organoid also revealed novel insights into human pancreatic development, including that the stem cells of the fetal pancreas are present longer in humans than in mice. Researchers further identified the presence of the LGR5 protein, a marker of stem cells across various tissues, in human pancreatic stem cells – a protein absent in mice.

The organoid offers scientists a powerful tool to study the genetic and environmental factors influencing human pancreatic health and development. These findings could ultimately aid in developing regenerative therapies and new treatments for pancreatic diseases. “However, we first need to fully understand how the cells and molecules in the human pancreas work together during development and in disease”, cautioned Andersson Rolf. “We are just starting to scratch the surface.”