title: Lineage Reprogramming: A Promising Road for Pancreatic β Cell Regeneration.
abstract: Cell replacement therapy is a promising method to restore pancreatic β cell function and cure diabetes. Distantly related cells (fibroblasts, keratinocytes, and muscle cells) and developmentally related cells (hepatocytes, gastrointestinal, and pancreatic exocrine cells) have been successfully reprogrammed into β cells in vitro and in vivo. However, while some reprogrammed β cells bear similarities to bona fide β cells, others do not develop into fully functional β cells. Here we review various strategies currently used for β cell reprogramming, including ectopic expression of specific transcription factors associated with islet development, repression of maintenance factors of host cells, regulation of epigenetic modifications, and microenvironmental changes. Development of simple and efficient reprogramming methods is a key priority for developing fully functional β cells suitable for cell replacement therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing 100191, China.
authors.forename: Rui
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing 100191, China. Electronic address: tpho66@bjmu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Tianpei
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hong
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019070:Cell Lineage; D054338:Cell Transdifferentiation; D065150:Cellular Reprogramming; D000067470:Cellular Reprogramming Techniques / Q000639:trends; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D050417:Insulin-Secreting Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology*; D016381:Islets of Langerhans Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000639:trends; D008954:Models, Biological; D012038:Regeneration
keywords: cell replacement therapy; cell reprogramming; diabetes mellitus; pancreatic β cells; transdifferentiation