Immortalized Human Pancreatic Stellate Cells-SV40

Pancreatic stellate cells (PSCs) play a key role in the pathogenesis of pancreatic fibrosis and the deposition of large amounts of insoluble extracellular matrix (ECM). In a normal pancreas, stellate cells are quiescent and, like their counterparts in the liver, store vitamin A in lipid droplets in their cytoplasm. When exposed to injury, inflammation or after prolonged cultivation in vitro, the cells transform to an activated myofibroblast-like state. In this activated state, PSCs begin to proliferate and synthesize ECM components like collagen type I and III (Col I and Col III), fibronectin (FN) and laminin. This state is accompanied by a gradual loss of lipid droplets and the expression of the proteins desmin, vimentin, αSMA and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP).

Several methods for isolation of these cells have been published; however, these methods need fairly large amounts of tissue to obtain a sufficient number of cells. Furthermore, due to the finite lifespan of PSCs and the phenotypic changes observable with time in culture, researchers need to analyze different preparations of PSCs, making a direct comparison of results difficult. Immortalized Human Pancreatic Stellate Cells-SV40 retain key phenotypic features of primary pancreatic stellate cells while possessing the extended lifespan and reproducibility required for robust experimental studies. They are ideal for research in pancreatic biology, fibrosis, tumor-stroma interactions, and extracellular matrix regulation.