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How, When, and Where Do Human β-Cells Regenerate?

  • Pathogenesis of Type 1 Diabetes (A Pugliese and SJ Richardson, Section Editors)
  • Published:
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Abstract

Purpose of Review

Pancreatic β-cells play a critical role in whole-body glucose homeostasis by regulating the release of insulin in response to minute by minute alterations in metabolic demand. As such, β-cells are staunchly resilient but there are circumstances where they can become functionally compromised or physically lost due to pathophysiological changes which culminate in overt hyperglycemia and diabetes.

Recent Findings

In humans, β-cell mass appears to be largely defined in the postnatal period and this early replicative and generative phase is followed by a refractory state which persists throughout life. Despite this, efforts to identify physiological and pharmacological factors which might re-initiate β-cell replication (or cause the replenishment of β-cells by neogenesis or transdifferentiation) are beginning to bear fruit.

Summary

Controlled manipulation of β-cell mass in humans still represents a holy grail for therapeutic intervention in diabetes, but progress is being made which may lead to ultimate success.

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Funding

R.N.K. acknowledges support from the JDRF, and the National Institutes of Health Grants R01 DK067536, UC4 DK116278, and UC4 DK116255. N.G.M. is grateful for the support from Diabetes UK (project grants 15/0005156 and 16/0005480) and from JDRF (nPOD-V collaborative award 3-SRA-2017-492-A-N and strategic research award 2-SRA-2018-474-S-B).

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  1. Islet Cell and Regenerative Biology, Joslin Diabetes Center, Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA

    Giorgio Basile & Rohit N. Kulkarni

  2. Institute of Biomedical & Clinical Science, University of Exeter Medical School, Exeter, EX2 5DW, UK

    Noel G. Morgan

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  1. Giorgio Basile
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Correspondence to Giorgio Basile.

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This article is part of the Topical Collection on Pathogenesis of Type 1 Diabetes

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Basile, G., Kulkarni, R.N. & Morgan, N.G. How, When, and Where Do Human β-Cells Regenerate?. Curr Diab Rep 19, 48 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11892-019-1176-8

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