Type 1 diabetes generally results from autoimmune destruction of pancreatic islet ␤-cells, with consequent absolute insulin deficiency and complete dependence on exogenous insulin treatment. The relative paucity of donations for pancreas or islet allograft transplantation has prompted the search for alternative sources for ␤-cell replacement therapy. In the current study, we used pluripotent undifferentiated human embryonic stem (hES) cells as a model system for lineage-specific differentiation. Using hES cells in both adherent and suspension culture conditions, we observed spontaneous in vitro differentiation that included the generation of cells with characteristics of insulin-producing ␤-cells. Immunohistochemical staining for insulin was observed in a surprisingly high percentage of cells. Secretion of insulin into the medium was observed in a differentiation-dependent manner and was associated with the appearance of other ␤-cell markers. These findings validate the hES cell model system as a potential basis for enrichment of human ␤-cells or their precursors, as a possible future source for cell replacement therapy in diabetes.

Podocyte and glomerular research is center stage for the development of improved preventive and therapeutic strategies for chronic progressive kidney diseases. Held April 3-6, 2016, the 11th International Podocyte Conference took place in Haifa and Jerusalem, Israel, where participants from all over the world presented their work on new developments in podocyte research. In this review, we briefly highlight the advances made in characterizing the mechanisms involved in podocyte development, metabolism, acquired injury, and repair, including progress in determining the roles of genetic variants and microRNA in particular, as well as the advances made in diagnostic techniques and therapeutics.

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