title: Reprogramming into pancreatic endocrine cells based on developmental cues.
abstract: Due to the increasing prevalence of type 1 diabetes and the complications arising from actual therapies, alternative treatments need to be established. In order to compensate the beta-cell deficiency associated with type 1 diabetes, current research focuses on new strategies to generate insulin-producing beta-cells for transplantation purpose, including the differentiation of stem or progenitor cells, as well as the transdifferentiation of dispensable mature cell types. However, to successfully force specific cells to adopt a functional beta-cell fate or phenotype, a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying beta-cell genesis is required. The present short review summarizes the hitherto known functions and interplays of several key factors involved in the development of the different endocrine cell lineages during pancreas morphogenesis, as well as their potential to direct the generation of beta-cells. Furthermore, an emphasis is made on beta-cell regeneration and the determinants implicated.
authors.affiliation: Max-Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Am Fassberg, D-37077 Göttingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Simon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kordowich
authors.forename: Ahmed
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mansouri
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Collombat
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology*; D019070:Cell Lineage; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000628:therapy; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D050417:Insulin-Secreting Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology; D009024:Morphogenesis; D010179:Pancreas / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology; D012038:Regeneration / Q000502:physiology; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology