The genetic programme of pancreatic β‐cells: basic science for the development of β‐cell therapy

Abstract

The European Molecular Biology Organization/Federation of European Biochemical Societies Workshop on Programming Pancreatic β‐Cells took place in El Perello, Spain, between 18 and 22 October 2006, and was organized by J. Ferrer, F. X. Real and P. L. Herrera. The meeting was also sponsored by Novo Nordisk and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. ![][1] β‐cells are located in the pancreatic islets of Langerhans and produce insulin in response to a rise in blood glucose; the destruction or dysfunction of β‐cells results in diabetes. Although insulin therapy has proved useful for the treatment of this disease, it is hoped that β‐cell‐replacement therapy will be even more effective; however, there is a limited supply of donor β‐cells. Alternative sources of β‐cells for implantation are therefore required and their activation in situ needs to be controlled. Possible methods to recreate the development, regeneration and growth of pancreatic β‐cells can be learned from naturally occurring processes, such as embryonic β‐cell development and adaptation of the β‐cell mass in adult life to obesity or other stress conditions. During this workshop, scientists from diverse research fields were brought together to foster discussions on the basic mechanisms of pancreatic development, pancreatic regeneration and growth, transdifferentiation and programmed embryonic stem (ES)‐cell differentiation. In recent years research has amassed an impressive set of data describing the mechanisms that control endoderm development, the subsequent morphogenesis of the pancreas and the differentiation of pancreatic cells (Murtaugh & Melton, 2003; Collombat et al , 2006; Jensen, 2004). Concurrently, research has also progressed on the transcriptional regulation involved. The number of known transcription factors involved in β‐cell development continues to increase. M. Sander (Irvine, CA, USA) has investigated the expression of SRY‐box‐containing (Sox) protein family members during pancreatic development, and found that Sox9 is expressed in a subset of progenitor cells. Conditional inactivation … [1]: /embed/graphic-1.gif