EXOPANPATREG · Characterisation of exocrine cells from adult rodent pancreas and their phenotypic plasticity in pancreatic pathology and regeneration

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Project objective

The adult pancreas consists mainly of exocrine acinar and duct cells, with interspersed endocrine islets. All these cells arise from embryonic protodifferentiated duct cells. In adult life, the exocrine cells retain phenotypic plasticity. In pancreatic pathology and regenerative conditions, acino-ductal metaplasia has been shown. A major problem in tackling the relationship between these cell types is the lack of stage-specific cell differentiation markers for study which - in turn - hampers the development of reliable genetic-based cell lineage-tracing studies. This project aims at developing new insights into the acinar versus ductal phenotype on one hand, and the differences between embryonic duct cells, normal adult duct cells, and metaplastic exocrine cells on the other hand. The transcriptome of these cell types will be analyzed using laser capture microdissection and microarrays. In addition, we will explore the role of Notch signalling as a cell fate decision maker in exocrine cell phenotypic changes, during pancreatic pathology and endocrine cell neogenesis. Notch will be overexpressed in normal adult pancreas via virus-mediated gene delivery targeted to the acinar or duct cell population. Effects on the exocrine phenotype will be evaluated.

Original text from CORDIS.

Participants

• FUNDACIO IMIM · BARCELONACoordinatorSpain

Links

• View on CORDIS