Pancreatic α Cells Can Become β Cells Naturally

Various “cell therapy” approaches have been proposed to overcome extreme loss of insulin-producing pancreatic β cells in patients with type 1 diabetes. Transplantation of donor islets of Langerhans is being investigated actively, but the number of patients with type 1 diabetes far outstrips the current donor supply. Embryonic stem cells or induced pluripotent stem cells theoretically could be converted into β cells, but this research is in its infancy.

A new study shows that nature might have provided another way to produce β cells. The pancreatic β cells of young mice were destroyed selectively with a toxin. In the early months after β cell destruction, the mice were kept alive with regular insulin injections. However, after several months,…