Some Pancreatic Cells Are Just One Genetic Tweak Away From Treating Diabetes
By deactivating a gene, researchers were able to cause cells in the pancreatic ducts to produce insulin to regulate blood sugar.
Researchers have discovered that a single gene tweak may transform pancreatic ductal cells into beta cells, potentially offering a new treatment for diabetes. Beta cells are crucial for producing insulin, a hormone that regulates blood sugar levels. Geneticist Jian Li and colleagues at Harvard Medical School conducted a genetic screen on human ductal cells to identify which genes drive their transformation into beta-like cells.
By silencing the ALDH3B2 gene, the researchers found that ductal cells took on a beta-cell-like state 8.5% of the time, up from less than 1% without the alteration. Mice with diabetes experienced circulating human insulin and reduced glucose levels when transplanted with edited pancreatic cells. While gene therapies for diabetes have been explored, this method offers a unique advantage by utilizing existing pancreatic cells.
However, ensuring precision and avoiding unintended immune system activation remain challenges. The researchers are now investigating whether gene therapy or small molecules can achieve similar results without editing genes. This breakthrough has the potential to significantly improve the lives of the 830 million people worldwide living with diabetes, many of whom face life-threatening complications.
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