In addition to revealing details on how the tribbles protein may hamper insulin secretion, the study suggested ways in which it may increase beta cell death and decrease
beta cell proliferation.
Previous studies of
beta cell proliferation generally have focused on mechanisms that kick off the cell cycle that leads to successful cell division.
Not exact matches
The process involves the reversion of delta
cells (which produce somatostatin, another pancreatic hormone) to a precursor - like
cell state, with
proliferation and later reconstitution of the populations of
beta and delta
cells.
Although
beta cells proliferate robustly during the first decade or so of life, this
proliferation slows dramatically with age.
Over several years, Dr. Stewart and colleagues unraveled genes and signaling pathways that drive multiplication (
proliferation) of
beta cells, and then confirmed proposed mechanisms with gene therapy.
To explore the feasibility of this approach, Gittes and first author Xiangwei Xiao of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine engineered an AAV vector to deliver to the mouse pancreas proteins called Pdx1 and MafA, which support
beta cell maturation,
proliferation, and function.
Better understanding of the
beta -
cell proliferation process eventually may lead toward therapies for diabetes patients, whose supplies of these cells often shrink over time, says Rohit Kulkarni, M.D., Ph.D., a Joslin Senior Investigator and senior author on a paper about the work published in the journal Cell Metabol
cell proliferation process eventually may lead toward therapies for diabetes patients, whose supplies of these
cells often shrink over time, says Rohit Kulkarni, M.D., Ph.D., a Joslin Senior Investigator and senior author on a paper about the work published in the journal
Cell Metabol
Cell Metabolism.
Increased transforming growth factor
beta expression inhibits
cell proliferation in vitro, yet increases tumorigenicity and tumor growth of Meth A sarcoma
cells.
beta -
Cells at the crossroads: choosing between insulin granule production and
proliferation.
In addition to its structural role in epithelial junctions,
beta - catenin activates TCF -4-mediated transcription of genes required for
cell proliferation.