Cellular plasticity of the pancreas.
Cell replacement therapy holds promises for treatment of patients suffering from diabetes mellitus. When determining the appropriate strategies to amplify the amount of transplantable beta-cells, sufficient knowledge of the developmental programs regulating beta-cell differentiation is crucial. Here, we describe the plasticity of the different pancreatic cell types in vivo and in vitro and their potential to serve as beta-cell progenitor.
Baeyens
Luc
L
Cell Differentiation Unit, Diabetes Research Center, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Laarbeeklaan 103, B-1090 Brussels, Belgium.
Bouwens
Luc
L
D054338:Cell Transdifferentiation / Q000502:physiology; D064987:Cell- and Tissue-Based Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D065150:Cellular Reprogramming / Q000502:physiology; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D050417:Insulin-Secreting Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000473:pathology / Q000637:transplantation; D008679:Metaplasia / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D010179:Pancreas / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology / Q000601:surgery