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Ongoing research in cell regeneration suggests that insulin-producing islets cells may have the ability to regenerate under certain conditions. Researchers have shown that islet regeneration can be induced in a variety of experimental settings, however pregnancy is the only normal state that results in natural development and growth of these cells. During pregnancy, the body accommodates the increased needs of the mother and the developing fetus by modifying a host of biological functions. This includes a temporary expansion in the number of pancreatic beta cells required for regulating the blood sugar levels of both mother and baby. Scientists at the DRI (Diabetes Research Institute) are now taking a closer look at this physiological phenomenon in order to determine methods to regenerate islets in people with type 1 diabetes.
A critical first step in this process was to analyze the molecular signals that drive the natural islet expansion. Dr. Ricardo Pastori, director of molecular biology, and his team studied the role of a group of key molecules, called micro-RNA (miRNA), that control fundamental cell processes, such as the growth of islet cells.
Micro-RNAs, which have unique properties and are master regulators of gene expression, have proven difficult to study due to their elusive nature. Until now, the methods that scientists have used to study miRNA have been unreliable. In a major advance, the DRI team has been able to correctly measure and analyze miRNA expression, which is not only relevant in diabetes research, but is a significant finding for the entire medical research field.
The study results were recently published in the journal Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, and the team presented their findings in March at a meeting hosted by the Cambridge Healthtech Institute in Boston.
Dr. Pastori and his colleagues will now use this information to correctly profile islets isolated during pregnancy in rodent models to identify the novel genes and pathways involved in islet growth. These studies may lead to the development of novel methods to regenerate islets in the clinical setting.
>>View Video Comments from DRI Researcher Luca Inverardi, M.D.
https://www.diabetesresearch.org/Newsroom/Publications/LucaInverardi.htm
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