Benchmarking in vivo and in vitro gene co-expression networks enables efficient β-like cell differentiation

Jifeng Liu; Anne Grapin-Botton

doi:10.1016/j.devcel.2026.01.004

Benchmarking in vivo and in vitro gene co-expression networks enables efficient β-like cell differentiation

Dev Cell. 2026 Feb 11;61(2):229-231. doi: 10.1016/j.devcel.2026.01.004.

Authors

Jifeng Liu¹, Anne Grapin-Botton²

Affiliations

¹ Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, 01307 Dresden, Germany.
² Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, 01307 Dresden, Germany; Center for Systems Biology Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany; Cluster of Excellence Physics of Life, TU Dresden, 01062 Dresden, Germany; Paul Langerhans Institute Dresden of the Helmholtz Munich at University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus and Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany. Electronic address: botton@mpi-cbg.de.

PMID: 41679276
DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2026.01.004

Abstract

In this issue of Developmental Cell, Yu et al.¹ reconstruct human embryonic gene co-expression networks (GCNs) that guide pancreatic endocrine lineage specification. Benchmarking stem cell-derived islet (SC-islet) differentiation protocols against fetal human pancreatic cells reveals early regulatory divergences, thereby enabling the design of a protocol with improved β-like cell production.

MeSH terms

Animals
Benchmarking
Cell Differentiation* / genetics
Cell Lineage
Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental
Gene Regulatory Networks*
Humans
Insulin-Secreting Cells* / cytology
Insulin-Secreting Cells* / metabolism