AUTHOR=Marchetti Piero , Bugliani Marco , De Tata Vincenzo , Suleiman Mara , Marselli Lorella 

TITLE=Pancreatic Beta Cell Identity in Humans and the Role of Type 2 Diabetes

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology

VOLUME=5

YEAR=2017

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/cell-and-developmental-biology/articles/10.3389/fcell.2017.00055

DOI=10.3389/fcell.2017.00055

ISSN=2296-634X

ABSTRACT=<p>Pancreatic beta cells uniquely synthetize, store, and release insulin. Specific molecular, functional as well as ultrastructural traits characterize their insulin secretion properties and survival phentoype. In this review we focus on human islet/beta cells, and describe the changes that occur in type 2 diabetes and could play roles in the disease as well as represent possible targets for therapeutical interventions. These include transcription factors, molecules involved in glucose metabolism and insulin granule handling. Quantitative and qualitative insulin release patterns and their changes in type 2 diabetes are also associated with ultrastructural features involving the insulin granules, the mitochondria, and the endoplasmic reticulum.</p>