Reconstruction of endocrine subtype-complete human pluripotent stem cell-derived islets with capacity for hypoglycemia protection in vivo

Abstract

Transplantation of pluripotent stem cell-derived islets (PSC-islets), containing functional insulin-producing β cells, represents promising cell therapy for restoring glycemic control in diabetes. However, recapitulation of complete endocrine composition in PSC-islets remains challenging, and their ability to counteract hazardous hypoglycemia, crucial to metabolic safety in vivo, remains unexplored. Here, we report robust generation of non-β cells in vitro. By incorporating non-β and β cells, we report reconstruction of PSC-islets comprising all five (α, β, δ, ε, and γ) endocrine subtypes (reconstructed PSC-islets). After reversal of hyperglycemia in diabetic mouse models, these islets exhibited robust protection against hypoglycemia, with only 3% of measurements falling below 54 mg/dL compared with 59% in non-reconstructed controls. Remarkably, hypoglycemic clamp assays suggested restoration of previously defective counterregulatory response in reconstructed PSC-islet recipients. These findings establish a strategy to control relative abundance of PSC-islet subtypes, providing a basis for calibrating post-transplant glycemic homeostasis with definitive hypoglycemic protection.

Keywords: bidirectional glycemic modulation; chemical reprogramming; counterregulatory response; diabetes; endocrine composition; endocrine subtype-complete islets; five islet endocrine subtypes; glycemia-raising; human pluripotent stem cell-derived islets; hypoglycemia protection.