Three-dimensional differentiation of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells into insulin-producing cells

• Fibrin glue enhances the differentiation of IPCs from rats BM-MSCs.
• Fibrin glue effectively enhances the expression of PDX-1, GLUT-2, MafA, Pax-4 and Insulin genes.
• Fibrin glue effectively enhances the release of insulin from IPCs.
• Fibrin glue effectively enhances the percentage of insulin positive cells.

Fibrin glue (FG) is used in a variety of clinical applications and in the laboratory for localized and sustained release of factors potentially important for tissue engineering. The aim of this study was to evaluate FG scaffold effect on differentiation of insulin-producing cells (IPCs) from bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs). In this experimental study BM-MSCs were cultured and the cells characterized by analysis of cell surface markers using flow cytometry. BM-MSCs were seeded in FG scaffold (3D culture) and then treated with induction media. After induction, the presence of IPCs was demonstrated using gene expression profiles for pancreatic cell differentiation markers (PDX-1, GLUT-2 and insulin) and insulin detection in cytoplasm. Release of insulin by these cells was confirmed by radioimmunoassay. Expression of the islet-associated genes PDX-1, GLUT-2 and Insulin genes in 3D cultured cells was markedly higher than the 2D cultured cells exposure differentiation media. Compared to 2D culture of BM-MSCs-derived IPCs, the insulin release from 3D BM-MSCs-derived IPCs showed a nearly 3 fold (p < 0.05) increase when exposed to a high glucose (25 mM) medium. Percentage of insulin positive cells in 3D experimental group showed an approximately 3.5-fold increase in compared to 2D experimental culture cells. The results of this study demonstrated that FG scaffold can enhance the differentiation of IPCs from rats BM-MSCs.