Beta-cell mass regulation represents a critical issue for understanding diabetes, a disease
characterized by a near-absolute (type 1) or relative (type 2) deficiency in the number of …

Islet transplantation may be used to treat type I diabetes. Despite tremendous progress in
islet isolation, culture, and preservation, the clinical use of this modality of treatment is …

Aims/hypothesis Transplantation of insulin-producing beta cells from donors can cure
diabetes, but they are available in insufficient quantities. In this study, we investigated the …

Enhancing β-cell proliferation is a major goal for type 1 and type 2 diabetes research.
Unraveling the network of β-cell intracellular signaling pathways that promote β-cell …

Obesity-linked type 2 diabetes is a disease of insulin resistance combined with pancreatic β-
cell dysfunction. Although a role for β-cell mass in the pathogenesis of obesity-linked type 2 …

Activin A and betacellulin (BTC) are thought to regulate differentiation of pancreatic β-cells
during development and regeneration of β-cells in adults. In the present study, we used …

β-cell replacement represents the ultimate cure for type 1 diabetes, however it is limited by
availability of organ donors. Adult human islets are difficult to propagate in culture, and …

The potential of pluripotent human cells, such as human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) and
induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells, to differentiate into any adult cell type makes them …

Background The amount of dietary monosodium glutamate (MSG) is increasing worldwide,
in parallel with the epidemics of metabolic syndrome. Parenteral administration of MSG to …

Betacellulin belongs to the family of epidermal growth factor-like growth factors that are
expressed as transmembrane precursors and undergo proteolytic ectodomain shedding to …