title: Extracellular signals and pancreatic beta-cell development: a brief review.
abstract: Cell lineage development is a finely tuned process of proliferation and differentiation, survival and apoptosis, that is regulated by numerous extracellular signals. Here we review some of the extracellular signals--including insoluble cell-cell and extracellular matrix-cell interactions, as well as soluble factors--that appear critical for pancreatic beta-cell development. Knowledge of how these signals control the development of pancreatic endocrine stem/precursor cells into fully functional insulin-secreting beta cells is a platform for the restoration of beta-cell function and the cure therapy of type 1 diabetes.
authors.affiliation: Autoimmunity and Transplantation Division, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, The Royal Melbourne Hospital, Parkville, Australia. jiang@wehi.edu.au
authors.forename: Fang-Xu
authors.initials: FX
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Leonard C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Harrison
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002450:Cell Communication / Q000502:physiology; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology*; D005109:Extracellular Matrix / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007515:Islets of Langerhans / Q000196:embryology* / Q000502:physiology; D051379:Mice; D009024:Morphogenesis / Q000502:physiology; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology*