Articles
The BCBC features background and short reports of ongoing scientific investigations. We select primary research publications, relevant to beta cell biology, and write short synopses on these. Our articles focus on the fundamental advancements that the publications report on and provide a focused view of these.
Featured Article
Imaging the pancreatic vasculature in diabetes models - Mar 23, 2012
The progression of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes is associated with changes in pancreatic islet vasculature and subsequent dysfunction. Previous studies by Medarova et al., 2007 have used in vivo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to visualize the localization of the blood pool agent, PGC-GdDTPA-F (PGC-gadolinium diethlenetriminepentaacetic acid labeled with fluorescein), in areas of inflammation and altered vasculature in islets of mice with chemically induced diabetes. In Medarova et al., 2011, the authors use the same agent, to assess changes in the morphology of islet vasculature in animal models of type 1 and type 2 diabetes. It was found that the blood volume contrast agent could highlight changes in the blood volume and vascular permeability of diseased pancreatic islets that are characteristic of diabetic inflammation. This work serves to characterize a compound with the ability to non-invasively visualize defects in pancreatic vascularization that are a hallmark of diabetes pathology and progression.
Primary references:
Other Articles
PDGF signalling controls age-dependent proliferation in pancreatic beta-cells - Mar 07, 2012
Specific control of pancreatic endocrine beta cell and delta cell mass by Class IIa Histone Deacetylases HDAC4, HDAC5, and HDAC9 - Jan 27, 2012
Context-specific alpha-to-beta cell reprogramming by forced Pdx1 expression - Nov 30, 2011
Bace2 is a beta cell-enriched protease that regulates pancreatic beta cell function and mass - Nov 21, 2011
Connective tissue growth factor acts within both endothelial cells and beta cells to promote proliferation of developing beta cells - Nov 10, 2011
Transcriptomes of the major human pancreatic cell types - Oct 10, 2011
A genetically engineered human pancreatic beta cell line exhibiting glucose-inducible insulin secretion - Sep 20, 2011
Nkx2.2 and Arx genetically interact to regulate pancreatic endocrine cell development and endocrine hormone expression - Sep 16, 2011
Cell-surface markers for the isolation of pancreatic cell types derived from human embryonic stem cells - Aug 17, 2011
Pax4 ectopic expression in the pancreas defines a pathway for beta cell generation in vivo. - Mar 18, 2010
Small Molecules Direct Embryonic Stem Cells towards Endoderm or Pancreatic Fate - Jun 29, 2009
Ectopic expression of Ngn3 transforms oval cells in the liver to neo-islets - Jun 22, 2009
ZnT8 (Slc30A8) is a new antigenic target in type 1 diabetes - Mar 31, 2009
Reprogramming adult mouse pancreatic exocrine cells to beta cells in vivo - Feb 10, 2009
Myt1 offsets Ngn's own negative feed-back mechanism to promote islet cell differentiation - Oct 28, 2008
Claudin-6: A Promising Global Marker of Definitive Endoderm - Feb 27, 2008
Generation of Beta Cells from Endogenous Progenitors in Injured Adult Mouse Pancreas - Feb 01, 2008
MafB is an activator of glucagon gene expression in alpha- and beta cells - Jun 12, 2006
APOCHIP - A Microarray Platform for Studying Beta Cell Apoptosis - Mar 09, 2006
Keystone Symposium 2006 - Report on Concurrent Islet Meetings - Mar 03, 2006
Ghrelin cells arise from Ngn3-expressing precursors - Oct 03, 2005
Report: The 2005 BCBC Kickoff Meeting - Sep 27, 2005
ISSCR: 2005 Annual Meeting Report - Jul 05, 2005
CITR - Collaborative Islet Transplant Registry - May 19, 2005
KLF11 is a glucose-inducible regulator of the insulin gene - Apr 25, 2005
A new ESC culture protocol for generating islet cells - Apr 04, 2005
HNF-4a regulates KATP channel-dependent insulin secretion in beta cells - Mar 17, 2005
Ghrelin cells fill the void - Mar 01, 2005
Keystone Symposium 2005: Molecular Regulation of Stem Cells - Mar 01, 2005
The Structure of Insulin - Dec 13, 2004
Regulation of Insulin Exocytosis by a Novel Islet-Specific microRNA - Dec 13, 2004
Pancreas-derived multipotent precursors - PMPs to the rescue - Nov 16, 2004
No adult supervision for beta cells? - Nov 09, 2004
Insulin - from secretion to action - Oct 13, 2004
