Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Insulin Secretory Vesicles01:05

Insulin Secretory Vesicles

Insulin secretory vesicles release insulin to stimulate blood glucose uptake and regulate carbohydrate metabolism. When the blood glucose levels increase, glucose enters the pancreatic β-islet cells through glucose transporters. Once inside, glucose is metabolized through glycolysis, the citric acid cycle, and the electron transport chain, producing ATP. This increase in ATP concentration closes ATP-sensitive potassium channels, leading to depolarization of the membrane and the opening of...
Tissue Renewal without Stem Cells01:23

Tissue Renewal without Stem Cells

After cellular or tissue damage, the resident stem cells present in the human body can locally repair and regenerate the damaged tissue or organ. However, even though some tissues do not have stem cells, they can repair and regenerate with the help of pre-existing cells. For example, beta cells of the pancreas and hepatocytes of the liver can divide to renew and regenerate the tissue. Here, both cell division and cell death are well regulated by homeostasis.
However, failure of such a system...
Cells and Secretions of the Pancreas01:16

Cells and Secretions of the Pancreas

The pancreas, a vital organ within the abdominal cavity, plays dual roles in the digestive and endocrine systems, collaborating with exocrine and endocrine cells to maintain optimal digestion and blood sugar levels.
Exocrine function is carried out by acinar cells, organized into clusters known as acini. These cells contribute to digestion by releasing substantial quantities of enzyme-rich, alkaline digestive juices.
Concurrently, the dispersed clusters of endocrine cells throughout the...
Hormones Regulating Blood Glucose01:16

Hormones Regulating Blood Glucose

Insulin is released by beta cells of the pancreas when blood glucose levels are high. It facilitates glucose absorption and utilization in insulin-dependent cells with insulin receptors on their plasma membranes. Insulin promotes glucose uptake by increasing the number of glucose transport proteins in the cell membrane, allowing glucose to enter the cell. As a result, glucose utilization and ATP production are enhanced.
In addition to accelerating glucose uptake and utilization, insulin has...
Glucose Homeostasis: Pancreatic Islets and Insulin Secretion01:27

Glucose Homeostasis: Pancreatic Islets and Insulin Secretion

The pancreatic islets comprising only 1%-2% of the volume are highly vascularized and innervated mini-organs. They contain five endocrine cell types, including β cells that secrete insulin, which is synthesized as a single polypeptide chain, preproinsulin, processed to proinsulin, and finally to insulin and C-peptide. This process is complex and regulated, involving the Golgi complex, the endoplasmic reticulum, and the secretory granules of the β cell.
Insulin and C-peptide are co-secreted in...
Type I Diabetes II: Pathophysiology01:26

Type I Diabetes II: Pathophysiology

Type 1 diabetes mellitus arises from an immune-mediated destruction of pancreatic β-cells, resulting in an absolute deficiency of insulin. This process develops in genetically susceptible individuals when autoimmunity, environmental exposures, and immunologic dysregulation converge to trigger a targeted attack on the insulin-producing cells of the pancreas. The β-cells are located within the islets of Langerhans and are essential for regulating blood glucose by facilitating cellular uptake of...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Volcanic eruptions caused weakening AMOC during the preindustrial past millennium.

Nature communications·2026
Same author

A Self-Powered Vibration Sensing System for High-Voltage Transmission Lines with Equipotential Connections.

Sensors (Basel, Switzerland)·2026
Same author

Research on UAV Path Planning Based on Enhanced Artificial Lemming Algorithm.

Biomimetics (Basel, Switzerland)·2026
Same author

Glycine betaine-modified CeOx/Mn3O4 nanozymes alleviate salt stress in corn by enhancing antioxidant defense.

Nanotechnology·2026
Same author

Therapy-induced remodeling of the tumor immune microenvironment: Mechanistic insights and implications for immunotherapy.

Chinese medical journal·2026
Same author

Pre-Training Effects on Sleep-Dependent Consolidation of Novel Word Learning in Immersive Virtual Reality.

Journal of Intelligence·2025
Same journal

A viral ORFeome library for systems-level genetic dissection of host-pathogen interactions.

Cell·2026
Same journal

Co-option of lysosomal machinery shapes the evolution of the intracellular photosymbiosis supporting coral reefs.

Cell·2026
Same journal

LEF1 and niche factors determine T cell stemness across chronic diseases.

Cell·2026
Same journal

Recurrent patterns of TOP1-mediated neuronal genomic damage shared by major neurodegenerative disorders.

Cell·2026
Same journal

Four-dimensional molecular mapping from a spatial snapshot reveals the dynamics of hair follicle organogenesis.

Cell·2026
Same journal

Whole-cell particle-based digital twin simulations from 4D lattice light-sheet microscopy data.

Cell·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 7, 2026

A Quantitative Assay for Insulin-expressing Colony-forming Progenitors
14:39

A Quantitative Assay for Insulin-expressing Colony-forming Progenitors

Published on: November 28, 2011

Alpha cells beget beta cells.

Zhengyu Liu1, Joel F Habener

  • 1Laboratory of Molecular Endocrinology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA. zliu4@partners.org

Cell
|August 12, 2009
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Pancreatic progenitor cells can become new insulin-producing beta cells after injury. This discovery offers potential new avenues for diabetes treatment and beta cell regeneration research.

More Related Videos

Surgical Injury to the Mouse Pancreas through Ligation of the Pancreatic Duct as a Model for Endocrine and Exocrine Reprogramming and Proliferation
07:44

Surgical Injury to the Mouse Pancreas through Ligation of the Pancreatic Duct as a Model for Endocrine and Exocrine Reprogramming and Proliferation

Published on: August 7, 2015

Analysis of Beta-cell Function Using Single-cell Resolution Calcium Imaging in Zebrafish Islets
08:50

Analysis of Beta-cell Function Using Single-cell Resolution Calcium Imaging in Zebrafish Islets

Published on: July 3, 2018

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 7, 2026

A Quantitative Assay for Insulin-expressing Colony-forming Progenitors
14:39

A Quantitative Assay for Insulin-expressing Colony-forming Progenitors

Published on: November 28, 2011

Surgical Injury to the Mouse Pancreas through Ligation of the Pancreatic Duct as a Model for Endocrine and Exocrine Reprogramming and Proliferation
07:44

Surgical Injury to the Mouse Pancreas through Ligation of the Pancreatic Duct as a Model for Endocrine and Exocrine Reprogramming and Proliferation

Published on: August 7, 2015

Analysis of Beta-cell Function Using Single-cell Resolution Calcium Imaging in Zebrafish Islets
08:50

Analysis of Beta-cell Function Using Single-cell Resolution Calcium Imaging in Zebrafish Islets

Published on: July 3, 2018

Area of Science:

  • Endocrinology
  • Developmental Biology
  • Regenerative Medicine

Background:

  • Insulin-producing beta cells are crucial for glucose homeostasis.
  • Diabetes mellitus results from beta cell dysfunction or loss.
  • Understanding beta cell origins is key for therapeutic strategies.

Discussion:

  • Collombat et al. (2009) investigated pancreatic cell plasticity following injury.
  • The study focused on the potential for progenitor cells to regenerate beta cells.
  • Transdifferentiation offers a novel mechanism for beta cell neogenesis.

Key Insights:

  • Pancreatic progenitor cells can generate alpha cells that express glucagon.
  • These alpha cells subsequently undergo transdifferentiation into functional beta cells.
  • This process highlights a previously unrecognized pathway for beta cell generation.

Outlook:

  • This finding opens new therapeutic avenues for type 1 diabetes.
  • Further research could explore inducing transdifferentiation for beta cell replacement.
  • Potential for regenerative medicine strategies targeting pancreatic cell fate.