Publication

[Molecular Psychiatry] Scientists demonstrated that pancreatic tau was crucial for insulin secretion regulation and glucose homeostasis. Tau levels were found to be elevated in β-islet cells of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, and loss of tau enhanced insulin secretion in cell lines.

[Advanced Healthcare Materials] The authors developed a new type of endocrine pancreas-on-a-chip based on a microfiber assembly and evaluated its stimulation of pancreatic secretion by glucose or sugar substitutes.

[Molecular Metabolism] To determine the role of Achaete-scute homolog 1 (Ascl1) in metabolic-stress induced β-cell failure, researchers generated pancreatic β-cell-specific Ascl1 knockout mice and assessed β-cell function and gene expression in response to a normal diet, metabolic stress, and excitotoxic stress.

[Cell Death Discovery] Researchers selected C57BL/6 mice as lean mice models, ob/ob mice or diet induced obese mice as obese mice models and then induced experimental acute pancreatitis in mice via injections of caerulein.

[Scientific Reports] Scientists developed a highly sensitive assay to detect residual undifferentiated cells in islet cells derived from human chemically induced pluripotent stem cells, which were transgene-free and safer.

[Autophagy] The authors demonstrated that transcription factors myocyte enhancer factor 2A (MEF2A) and MEF2D synergistically regulated mechanistic target of rapamycin kinase complex 1 (MTORC1) activation via modulating its cyto-lysosome shutting.