Reprogramming of pancreatic islet cells for regeneration and rejuvenation

The pancreatic & beta; cell, which produces insulin, is a terminally differentiated cell type that divides rarely. Consequently, the regenerative ability of & beta; cells is limited and irreversible diabetes occurs after severe loss of & beta;-cell function. In view of such poor regenerative capacity, considerable research efforts have been made to promote the expansion of functional insulin-producing cells as a regenerative therapy for diabetes. Here, we discuss recent findings regarding the robust expansion of functional mature islet cells both in vivo and ex vivo through MYCLmediated reprogramming. We also describe the potential prospects for the application of reprogramming technologies to regenerative therapy and rejuvenation of islet cells.