Continuous Inhibition of Sonic Hedgehog Signaling Leads to Differentiation of Human-Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells into Functional Insulin-Producing β Cells

Figure 3

Combinations of small molecules to differentiate cells into pancreatic progenitor cells. (a) Combinations of small molecules applied in three stages to induce differentiation into islet precursor cells. Cell morphology is homogeneous in groups 4 and 6, in which SANT-1 was added to basic differentiation culture medium during step 3 of differentiation. (b) The expression of major transcription factors in pancreatic progenitor cells under all conditions compared using qPCR. The expression of major transcription factors, Pdx1, Ngn3, Nkx6.1, Sox9, and NeuroD in other groups is slightly higher than that in group 1, which was incubated with only the basic differentiation factor. Expression is the most abundant in cells incubated with SANT-1 ().

(a)

(b)