Regulation of Pancreatic Islet Formation

Pancreatic islets are complex structures formed by five different hormoneexpressing cells surrounded by endothelial cells, nerves, and fibroblasts. Dysfunction of insulin-producing cells (β-cells) causes diabetes. Generation of β-like cells that can compensate the loss of β-cell mass in type 1 diabetes or defects in β-cell insulin secretion in type 2 diabetes is a current challenge in biomedicine. The knowledge of the molecular basis governing pancreas development and islet formation will help us to generate in vitro or in vivo