Endocrine Abstracts

Generating functional insulin-secreting cells is a major goal of developing cell therapies for diabetes. Studies have shown that insulin+ cells can be derived from non-beta cells by cellular reprogramming. We carried out a genetic screen in mouse to identify adult cell types amenable for direct conversion to insulin+ cells by a cocktail of reprogramming factors (Ngn3, Pdx1, and Mafa, termed NPM factors). Surprisingly, the antral stomach epithelial cells w...

Generating functional insulin-secreting cells is a major goal of developing cell therapies for diabetes. Studies have shown that insulin+ cells can be derived from non-beta cells by cellular reprogramming. We carried out a genetic screen in mouse to identify adult cell types amenable for direct conversion to insulin+ cells by a cocktail of reprogramming factors (Ngn3, Pdx1, and Mafa, termed NPM factors). Surprisingly, the antral stomach epithelial cells w...

Aim: One of the hallmarks of type 2 diabetes (T2D) is impaired beta cell function, which develops in part as a result of widespread cellular de-differentiation. The current state-of-the-art defines beta cells as a heterogeneous islet population, with the existence of individual subpopulations including specialised ‘pacemakers’. We sought here to understand how overexpression-induced beta cell maturity affects such heterogeneity, befo...

Aim: One of the hallmarks of type 2 diabetes (T2D) is impaired beta cell function, which develops in part as a result of widespread cellular de-differentiation. The current state-of-the-art defines beta cells as a heterogeneous islet population, with the existence of individual subpopulations including specialised ‘pacemakers’. We sought here to understand how overexpression-induced beta cell maturity affects such heterogeneity, befo...

Background: A normal islet includes both mature and immature β-cells, with the former possessing higher insulin content and the latter displaying better proliferative capacity. However, it remains unknown whether immature β-cells also contribute to the regulation of insulin release, especially by commanding the activity of their mature counterparts.Materials and methods: Pdx1, Mafa, and Ngn3 were overexpressed in &#94...