Scientists have found that Pancreatic cells that don’t normally produce insulin can be modified to do so, and to help control blood sugar levels in diabetic mice.
The destruction of a single kind of insulin-producing cell in the pancreas can lead to diabetes — but a study suggests that other cells could be modified to take its place and help to control blood sugar levels.
The results raise hopes that ‘reprogrammed’ insulin-producing cells could be used as
In a study published in Nature, researchers report coaxing human pancreatic cells that don’t normally make insulin, a hormone that regulates the amount of glucose in the blood, to change their identity and begin producing the hormone.
When implanted in mice, these reprogrammed cells relieved symptoms of diabetes, raising the possibility that the method could one day be used as a treatment in people.
News Source: Nature
