Evaluation of Pancreatic β-cell Differentiation Efficiency of Human iPSC Lines for Clinical Use

Background: Transplantation of pancreatic β-cells generated from human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) has great potential as a root treatment for type 1 diabetes. However, their current level of efficiency to differentiate into β-cells is still not at par for clinical use. Previous research has shown that differentiation efficiency varies among human embryonic stem cells and mouse-induced pluripotent stem cell lines. Therefore, selecting a suitable cell line for efficient induction into desired tissues and organs is crucial. Methods: In this study, we have evaluated the efficiency of 15 hiPSC lines available for clinical use to differentiate into pancreatic β-cells. Results: Our investigation has revealed induction efficiency to differ among the hiPSC lines, even when derived from the same donor. Among the hiPSC lines tested, the 16A01 cell line exhibited the highest Insulin expression and low Glucagon expression, suggesting that this cell line is suitable for differentiation into β-cells. Conclusion: Our study has demonstrated the importance of selecting a suitable hiPSC line for effective differentiation into β-cells.