Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 29, 2026

Efficient Generation of Pancreas/Duodenum Homeobox Protein 1+ Posterior Foregut/Pancreatic Progenitors from hPSCs in Adhesion Cultures
08:32

Efficient Generation of Pancreas/Duodenum Homeobox Protein 1+ Posterior Foregut/Pancreatic Progenitors from hPSCs in Adhesion Cultures

Published on: March 27, 2019

5.3K

Revealing transcription factors during human pancreatic β cell development

Elizabeth Conrad1, Roland Stein1, Chad S Hunter1

  • 1Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, 2215 Garland Ave, Nashville, TN 37232, USA.

Trends in Endocrinology and Metabolism: TEM
|May 17, 2014
PubMed

Insights

Understanding human beta cell development is key for diabetes therapies. This study compares human and rodent transcription factors, highlighting progress and challenges in generating beta cells from stem cells.

Area of Science:

  • Endocrinology
  • Developmental Biology
  • Stem Cell Biology

Background:

  • Cell-based therapies for diabetes necessitate understanding human beta cell development.
  • Limited fetal tissue and gene targeting hinder research.
  • Rodent models offer insights but differ from human islets.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review current knowledge of human beta cell transcription factor expression during development.
  • To compare human and rodent transcription factor profiles.
  • To discuss recent advancements in generating human beta-like cells.

Main Methods:

  • Comparative analysis of transcription factor expression in human and rodent islets.
  • Review of studies using human embryonic stem (hES) cells and induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells.
  • Examination of transcription factor and epigenetic modulation strategies.

Main Results:

  • Significant progress in generating human beta-like cells from stem cells.
  • Identified differences in transcription factor roles between mouse and human islet development.
  • Advances in using transcription factor or epigenetic modulation for beta cell generation.

Conclusions:

  • Human beta cell development research is advancing, particularly with stem cell technologies.
  • Further research is needed to fully elucidate human-specific transcriptional mechanisms.
  • Transcription factor and epigenetic modulation show promise for future diabetes therapies.
Keywords:
diabetes mellitusepigeneticshumanorganogenesistranscription factor

More Related Videos

A High-content In Vitro Pancreatic Islet β-cell Replication Discovery Platform09:35

A High-content In Vitro Pancreatic Islet β-cell Replication Discovery Platform

Published on: July 16, 2016

10.4K
Author Spotlight: Advancements and Challenges in β-Cells Differentiation from Pluripotent Stem Cells06:33

Author Spotlight: Advancements and Challenges in β-Cells Differentiation from Pluripotent Stem Cells

Published on: February 2, 2024

2.7K

Related Concept Videos

General Transcription Factors01:30

General Transcription Factors

Tissue-specific transcription factors contribute to diverse cellular functions in mammals. For example, the gene for beta globin, a major component of hemoglobin, is present in all cells of the body. However, it is only expressed in red blood cells because the transcription factors that can bind to the promoter sequences of the beta globin gene are only expressed in these cells. Tissue-specific transcription factors also ensure that mutations in these factors may impair only the function of...
5.9K
Cell Specific Gene Expression01:58

Cell Specific Gene Expression

Multicellular organisms contain a variety of structurally and functionally distinct cell types, but the DNA in all the cells originated from the same parent cells. The differences in the cells can be attributed to the differential gene expression. Liver cells, whose functions include detoxification of blood, production of bile to metabolize fats, and synthesis of proteins essential for metabolism, must express a specific set of genes to perform their functions. Gene expression also varies with...
13.3K
Transcription Factors02:16

Transcription Factors

Tissue-specific transcription factors contribute to diverse cellular functions in mammals. For example, the gene for beta globin, a major component of hemoglobin, is present in all cells of the body. However, it is only expressed in red blood cells because the transcription factors that can bind to the promoter sequences of the beta globin gene are only expressed in these cells. Tissue-specific transcription factors also ensure that mutations in these factors may impair only the function of...
70.6K
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...
2.8K
Master Transcription Regulators02:23

Master Transcription Regulators

Master transcription regulators are regulatory proteins that are predominantly responsible for regulating the expression of multiple genes. Often these genes work in concert to drive a  complex process. Activation of a master transcription regulator can lead to a cascade of transcriptional activation necessary for that outcome. These regulators can directly bind to the regulatory sequences of the various genes involved, or they can indirectly regulate transcription by binding to regulatory...
6.1K
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...
75