Alpha cells beget beta cells.
Understanding the origins of insulin-producing beta cells of the pancreas could lead to new treatments for diabetes. Collombat et al. (2009) now show that in response to injury, a population of pancreatic progenitor cells can give rise to glucagon-expressing alpha cells that then transdifferentiate into beta cells.
Liu
Zhengyu
Z
Laboratory of Molecular Endocrinology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA. zliu4@partners.org
Habener
Joel F
JF
D000818:Animals; D050416:Glucagon-Secreting Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D050417:Insulin-Secreting Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D010179:Pancreas / Q000166:cytology*; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology