Development of MXene\nComposite Nanofiber-Based 3D\nCulture System for the Efficient Generation of MSC-Derived Functional\nPancreatic β‑Cells

Pancreatic β-cell transplantation is an effective\napproach\nfor the therapeutic treatment of type I diabetes. However, it has\nlimitations due to the lack of human cadaveric pancreas donors. Stem\ncells provide an alternative source for the generation of surrogate\npancreatic β-cells. Nonetheless, its clinical utility is restricted\ndue to the unavailability of a robust culture system for the generation\nof large quantities of insulin-responsive pancreatic β-cells.\nIn this study, we fabricated an MXene composite nanofibrous scaffold\n(PCL 25_Ti<sub>2</sub>C 5 nanofiber) for the development of a three-dimensional\n(3D) culture system that can enhance the proliferation and differentiation\nof stem cell-derived pancreatic β-cells. The fabricated MXene\ncomposite nanofibers exhibited a porous nanostructure and increased\nhydrophilicity due to a large number of hydrophilic functional groups.\nWe assessed the biocompatibility and differentiation potential of human Wharton’s\njelly mesenchymal stem cells (hWJ-MSCs) on a fabricated MXene composite\nnanofibrous scaffold. MXene composite nanofibers significantly upregulated\nkey pancreatic β-cell markers including <i>PDX-1</i>, <i>MAFA</i>, <i>Insulin</i>, <i>Nkx6.1</i>, and <i>Nkx2.2</i> and also showed increased production\nand secretion of insulin in response to glucose stimulation when compared\nto control (PCL 25 nanofiber), suggesting enhanced differentiation\nof hWJ-MSCs into functional pancreatic β-cells. Overall, the\nresults suggest that MXene nanofiber-based cell therapy has therapeutic\npotential for diabetes treatment.