DIABETES & PANCREATITIS Reprogrammed Stomach Tissue as a Renewable Source of Functional β Cells for Blood Glucose Regulation Scientists showed that cells of the antral stomach have a previously unappreciated propensity for conversion into functional insulin-secreting cells. Native antral endocrine cells share a surprising degree of transcriptional similarity with pancreatic β cells, and expression of β cell reprogramming factors in vivo converted antral cells efficiently into insulin+ cells with close molecular and functional similarity to β cells. [Cell Stem Cell] Full Article | Press Release | Graphical Abstract MafA-Controlled Nicotinic Receptor Expression Is Essential for Insulin Secretion and Is Impaired in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Using a glucose-intolerant, MafA-deficient mouse model, researchers demonstrated that MAFA controls autonomic nervous system-mediated insulin secretion by activating the transcription of nicotinic (ChrnB2 and ChrnB4) and adrenergic (Adra2A) receptor genes, which are integral parts of acetylcholine- and monoamine-signaling pathways. [Cell Rep] Full Article | Graphical Abstract Diabetes Caused by Elastase-Cre-Mediated Pdx1 Inactivation in Mice Researchers used Elastase-Cre-mediated recombination to inactivate Pdx1 in the pancreatic exocrine lineage during embryonic stages. Along with exocrine defects, including impaired acinar cell maturation, the mutant mice exhibited substantial endocrine defects, including disturbed tip/trunk patterning of the developing ductal structure, a reduced number of Ngn3-expressing endocrine precursors, and ultimately fewer β cells. [Sci Rep] Full Article | Press Release Angiopoietin 2 Induces Astrocyte Apoptosis via αvβ5-Integrin Signaling in Diabetic Retinopathy Investigators demonstrated that vascular leakage occurred with astrocyte loss in early diabetic mice retina as angiopoietin 2 (Ang2) increased. The astrocyte loss and vascular leakage were inhibited by intravitreal injection of Ang2-neutralizing antibody. [Cell Death Dis] Full Article PANCREATIC CANCER TGF-β Tumor Suppression through a Lethal EMT Researchers showed that TGF-β induces an epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), generally considered a pro-tumorigenic event. However, in TGF-β-sensitive pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma cells, EMT become lethal by converting TGF-β-induced Sox4 from an enforcer of tumorigenesis into a promoter of apoptosis. [Cell] Abstract | Graphical Abstract PlGF/VEGFR-1 Signaling Promotes Macrophage Polarization and Accelerated Tumor Progression in Obesity The authors hypothesized that increased activity of placental growth factor (PlGF)/vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-1 (VEGFR-1) signaling mediates obesity-induced tumor progression by augmenting tumor angiogenesis and tumor-associated macrophage recruitment/activity. [Clin Cancer Res] Full Article | Press Release miR-137 Modulates a Tumor Suppressor Network-Inducing Senescence in Pancreatic Cancer Cells Scientists showed that miR-137 targets KDM4A mRNA during Ras-induced senescence and activates both p53 and retinoblastoma tumor suppressor pathways. [Cell Rep] Full Article | Graphical Abstract MIA PaCa-2 and PANC-1 – Pancreas Ductal Adenocarcinoma Cell Lines with Neuroendocrine Differentiation and Somatostatin Receptors Researchers aimed to describe the MIA PaCa-2 and PANC-1 cell line phenotype and genotype characteristics that may play a crucial role in pancreatic cancer therapeutic assays, namely neuroendocrine chemotherapy and peptide receptor radionuclide therapy. [Sci Rep] Full Article |