Extracellular Matrix-Derived Peptide Stimulates the Generation of Endocrine Progenitors and Islet Organoids from iPSCs

The authors identified a bioactive peptide domain of COL5, WWASKS, through bioinformatic analysis of decellularized pancreatic ECM-derived collagens. RNA-sequencing suggests that WWASKS induces the formation of pancreatic endocrine progenitors while suppressing the development of other types of organs.