Loss of β cell identity, the presence of polyhormonal cells, and reprogramming are emerging
as important features of β cell dysfunction in patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes. In this …

Nkx2. 2 is a homeodomain transcription factor that is critical for pancreatic endocrine cell
specification and differentiation in the developing mouse embryo. The purpose of this study …

All pancreatic endocrine cell types arise from a common endocrine precursor cell
population, yet the molecular mechanisms that establish and maintain the unique gene …

In diabetic individuals, the imbalance in glucose homeostasis is caused by loss or
dysfunction of insulin-secreting β-cells of the pancreatic islets. As successful generation of …

Recently, loss of beta-cell-specific traits has been proposed as an early cause of beta cell
failure in diabetes. However, the molecular mechanisms that underlie the loss of beta cell …

Reprogramming adult mammalian cells is an attractive approach for generating cell-based
therapies for degenerative diseases, such as diabetes. Adult human liver cells exhibit a high …

The homeodomain protein Nkx2. 2 (Nkx2-2) is a key regulator of pancreatic islet cell
specification in mice; Nkx2. 2 is essential for the differentiation of all insulin-producing β …

Regulation of cell differentiation programs requires complex interactions between
transcriptional and epigenetic networks. Elucidating the principal molecular events …

Abstract Purpose of Review To discuss the current understanding of “β cell identity” and
factors underlying altered identity of pancreatic β cells in diabetes, especially in humans …

Despite much progress in identifying transcriptional regulators that control the specification
of the different pancreatic endocrine cell types, the spatiotemporal aspects of endocrine …