Monday, February 16, 2026

Reprogrammed Human Stomach Organoids Secrete Insulin

Good news! This is about an older research article.

"... differentiated human embryonic stem cells into gastric organoids. They engineered the organoids such that the structures could be reprogrammed into pancreatic beta-like cells upon flipping a genetic switch using appropriate molecular cues.

The researchers then transplanted these organoids into the abdomen of mice and coaxed the organoids to produce insulin-secreting cells. Within three weeks, they observed insulin-producing cells within the organoids, which expressed key markers of pancreatic beta cells. ..."

"Highlights
• Engrafted human gastric organoids (hGOs) model human stomach in vivo
• NPM factor induction converts hGOs into insulin+ β-like cells in vitro and in vivo
•In situ gastric reprogramming offers potential for autologous diabetes cell therapy

Summary
Insulin-dependent diabetes could be treated by supplying patients with primary pancreatic islets or other types of insulin-secreting cells. Functional insulin-secreting cells can be induced in situ from the murine stomach using defined genetic factors, offering a promising method to directly produce autologous insulin-secreting cells.
Here, we modeled whether such gastric insulin-secreting (GINS) cells could be generated in vivo from human stomach tissues. We produced human gastric organoids (hGOs) from human embryonic stem cells engineered with inducible expression of reprogramming factors. The hGOs were stably transplanted for 6 months and showed robust cytodifferentiation resembling the human stomach in structure and cellular composition.
Upon hGO maturation in vivo, we activated the reprogramming factors and observed the formation of insulin+ cells, which secreted insulin into the circulation and ameliorated experimental diabetes. Our modeling indicates that GINS cells can be induced from human stomach tissues in vivo, warranting further therapeutic development for this technology."

Reprogrammed Human Stomach Organoids Secrete Insulin | The Scientist "Transplanting human gastric organoids engineered to release insulin in diabetic mice reduced hyperglycemia, offering a therapeutic avenue for type 1 diabetes."



Figure 1 Generation of hGOs from hESCs with inducible expression of NPM factors


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