In Vitro Differentiation of Human Umbilical Cord Blood CD133(+)Cells into Insulin Producing Cells in Co-Culture with Rat Pancreatic Mesenchymal Stem Cells
Authors: Hossein Baharvand
Mohamadreza Baghaban Eslaminejad
Nasser Aghdami
Marzieh Ebrahimi
Reyhaneh Khoshchehreh
Tahereh Zandieh
Fazel Sahraneshin Samani
Journal: Cell journal (2015)
Discipline: MOLECULAR BIOLOGY & GENETICS
Keywords: CD133+; Insulin Secreting Cells; Mesenchymal Stem Cells; Umbilical Cord.
Affiliations: Department of Stem Cells and Developmental Biology at Cell Science Research Center, Royan Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology, ACECR, Tehran, Iran ; Department of Developmental Biology, University of Science and Culture, ACECR, Tehran, Iran., Department of Stem Cells and Developmental Biology at Cell Science Research Center, Royan Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology, ACECR, Tehran, Iran ; Department of Regenerative Biomedicine at Cell Science Research Center, Royan Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology, ACECR, Tehran, Iran., Department of Stem Cells and Developmental Biology at Cell Science Research Center, Royan Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology, ACECR, Tehran, Iran., Department of Regenerative Biomedicine at Cell Science Research Center, Royan Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology, ACECR, Tehran, Iran.

Abstract:  Objective: Pancreatic stroma plays an important role in the induction of pancreatic cells by the use of close range signaling. In this respect, we presume that pancreatic mesenchymal cells (PMCs) as a fundamental factor of the stromal niche may have an effective role in differentiation of umbilical cord blood cluster of differentiation 133(+) (UCB-CD133(+)) cells into newly-formed β-cells in vitro. Materials and methods: This study is an experimental research. The UCB-CD133(+)cells were purified by magnetic activated cell sorting (MACS) and differentiated into insulin producing cells (IPCs) in co-culture, both directly and indirectly with rat PMCs. Immunocytochemistry and enzyme linked immune sorbent assay (ELISA) were used to determine expression and production of insulin and C-peptide at the protein level. Results: Our results demonstrated that UCB-CD133(+)differentiated into IPCs. Cells in islet-like clusters with (out) co-cultured with rat pancreatic stromal cells produced insulin and C-peptide and released them into the culture medium at the end of the induction protocol. However they did not respond well to glucose challenges. Conclusion: Rat PMCs possibly affect differentiation of UCB-CD133(+)cells into IPCs by increasing the number of immature β-cells. 

Retracted: No

PubPeer comments:
 Figure 2B. * Red boxes: The GAPDH, CD133, and OCT4 lanes look very similar to each other. Could the authors please provide the full, uncropped photos? ![file] , 
 Figure 3. * Blue boxes: the two  Pre-diffrentiation (sic) panels appear to look identical. Is one of these panels supposed to show post-differentiation, as the legend suggests? * Yellow boxes: the insets in the  Insulin and  C-peptide panels appear to show an area of overlap. Where these expected to look so similar? ![file] , 
 Figure 4. * Orange boxes: In the Positive Control row, the C-peptide and the Insulin panels look more similar to each other than expected. * Pink boxes: three insets in this figure appear to look very similar. ![file] , 
 #3 Dear Dr. Bik, Thank you so much for your analysis of my articles! Currently, we are carefully checking each of your comments and concerns regarding  image concerns and undisclosed conflict of interest in some of my papers. We have also started to contact the related journals to ask for corrective notes on those articles that need correction or other potential actions. We will update, on Pubpeer, the final changes and actions communicated with the journals once we get feedback from the journals. Thank you again for your time and concern! Sincerely yours, Hossein Baharvand , 
 #1 Thank you for your concern. The correspondent has explained to the editor and asked to publish an Erratum to our manuscript to avoid any potential ambiguities in the future and they accepted. , 
 Correction, April 2021: https: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc articles PMC7944135  In this article which was published in Cell J, Vol 17, No 2, Summer 2015, on pages 211-220, the authors found that Figures 3 and 4 had some errors that accidentally happened during organizing figures as well as because of mislabeling of some images and saving them in an incorrect folder. The following figures are corrected. The authors would like to apologies for any inconvenience caused. No mention of the concerns in Figure 2, though. ,