| First Author | Murtaugh LC | Year | 2007 |
| Journal | Development | Volume | 134 |
| Issue | 3 | Pages | 427-38 |
| PubMed ID | 17185316 | Mgi Jnum | J:119951 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:3703495 | Doi | 10.1242/dev.02770 |
| Citation | Murtaugh LC (2007) Pancreas and beta-cell development: from the actual to the possible. Development 134(3):427-38 |
| abstractText | The development of insulin-producing pancreatic beta (beta)-cells represents the culmination of a complex developmental program. Cells of the posterior foregut assume a pancreatic identity, cells within the expanding pancreatic primordia adopt an endocrine fate, and a subset of these precursors becomes competent to generate beta-cells. Postnatally, beta-cells are primarily maintained by self-duplication rather than new differentiation. Although major gaps in our knowledge still persist, experiments across several organisms have shed increasing light on the steps of beta-cell specification and differentiation. Increasing our understanding of the extrinsic, as well as intrinsic, mechanisms that control these processes should facilitate efforts to regenerate this important cell type in humans. |
