beta cells

ER stress in beta cells could initiate type 1 diabetes
03/22/2012 - 22:07

Scientists have found that a specific type of cellular stress called ER stress takes place in pancreatic beta cells before the onset of type I diabetes (T1D), and that this stress response in the beta cells may facilitate the autoimmune attack. According to the authors, the results could help scientists identify and validate potential drug targets to alleviate ER stress and preserve beta cell mass in T1D

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Pumping up the pancreas in pregnancy
01/20/2012 - 12:51

During pregnancy, insulin-producing beta cells proliferate, or self-renew, to meet new metabolic demands. Pregnancy therefore represents a unique window for studying molecules involved in expanding beta cell mass, which could lead to novel therapies for patients with diabetes.

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Jumpstarting Growth of Insulin-Producing Cells
10/14/2011 - 08:32

Diabetes researchers have been stymied for years in their efforts to develop a more complete understanding of what regulates the growth of the islet beta cells in the pancreas that produce insulin. When these cells die, their disappearance prevents the body from keeping blood sugar levels under control. To date, no one has figured out how to jumpstart the growth of new beta cells.

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Researchers Make Older Beta Cells Act Young Again
10/12/2011 - 19:10

A research report in the October 12 issue of Nature provides the most complete picture to date of the molecular and biochemical mechanisms that bring beta cell regeneration to a near halt as beta cells age. These findings may help pave a path for developing strategies to restore beta cell number to treat both type 1 and type 2 diabetes.

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A non-invasive method to visualize and quantify pancreatic islets
10/09/2011 - 22:42

Investigators from Switzerland have developed a method to quantitatively visualize individual islets in the whole pancreas and distinguish different pancreatic tissues with high resolution. They combined high resolution magnetic resonance imaging with manganese infusion to analyze the islet beta cells, the insulin producing cells in the pancreas.

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