Characterisation of human pancreatic mesenchymal stromal cells in type 1 diabetes

pMSCs express ANXA1 constitutively, suggesting an islet-protective role in health. The density of pMSCs was increased around insulin-containing islets and lost around insulin-deficient islets in individuals with type 1 diabetes which aligns with this hypothesis. pMSC density at the periphery of insulin-containing islets was preferentially higher in individuals with later-onset type 1 diabetes, correlating with a less intense immune cell infiltration. The reduced ability of pMSCs to survive in the more intense proinflammatory environment around islets in younger-onset type 1 diabetes may contribute to the rapid rate of beta cell loss in these individuals.