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Extreme makeover of pancreatic α-cells

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Most insulin-secreting pancreatic β-cells are irreplaceably lost in type 1 diabetes. In a mouse model, pancreatic α-cells seem to sacrifice their identity to replenish the low stock of β-cells1. Two experts discuss what this means for understanding the basic cell biology involved and its relevance to treating diabetes.boxed-text

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Figure 1: A helping hand from α-cells.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Kenneth S. Zaret is at the Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA. zaret@upenn.edu,

    Kenneth S. Zaret

  2. Division of Endocrinology, Morris F. White is at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Children's Hospital Boston, and at the Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA. morris.white@childrens.harvard.edu,

    Morris F. White

Authors
  1. Kenneth S. Zaret
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  2. Morris F. White
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Zaret, K., White, M. Extreme makeover of pancreatic α-cells. Nature 464, 1132–1133 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1038/4641132a

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