Does Adult Beta Neogenesis Occur?

The field of diabetes research is currently focused on the potential for adult beta neogenesis as a means to replace functional beta cells, which is crucial for treating diabetes. The debate over whether adult pancreatic islets contain tissue stem/progenitor cells remains unresolved, with some studies suggesting that pancreatic duct cells can transition to generate endocrine cells, akin to embryonic progenitor cells. However, this is contested due to issues with cell lineage specificity. Recent advancements, such as single-cell RNA sequencing, have revealed the heterogeneity of islet and pancreatic duct cells, complicating the ability to draw definitive conclusions. Additionally, reports indicate that human pancreatic slice cultures from the same donor can generate new functional endocrine cells through an intermediate duct-acinar stage. Despite these findings, there remains a significant gap in understanding the mechanisms and potential for beta cell regeneration in adult pancreatic islets, necessitating further investigation and discussion in this area.

This Research Topic aims to explore and clarify the potential for generating functional beta cells in adult pancreatic islets. The primary objectives include understanding the proliferative and differentiation potentials of pancreatic ductal cells, islet β-cells, and islet non-β-cells. Additionally, we seek to examine the parallels between pancreatic β-cell neogenesis and adult neurogenesis, with a focus on identifying common regulatory mechanisms for stem/progenitor cell proliferation, differentiation, and conversion processes. By addressing these questions, this Research Topic aims to contribute to the broader understanding of regenerative processes across different organs and species.

To gather further insights into the potential for beta cell regeneration in adult pancreatic islets, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:

• Pancreatic duct cells and endocrine cell generation
• Ductal cell polarization and differentiation
• Heterogeneity in islet and pancreatic duct cells
• Human pancreatic slice cultures
• Regeneration in postnatal mouse islets
• Comparative insights from neural stem cell research
• Cross-organ comparisons in regenerative medicine
• Mechanisms of stem/progenitor cell behavior
• Mitotic axis and fate determination
• Role of the vascular niche in maintaining adult stem cells in the pancreas
• Homology with neuroepithelium
• Effects of nutrition on β cell neogenesis
• Decoupling of proliferation from differentiation for expansion of pancreatic progenitors
• Autophagy, stress-induced β cell neogenesis
• Reversal of type 2 diabetes


We accept different article types including Mini-Reviews, Brief Research Reports, and Perspectives. A full list of accepted article types, including descriptions, can be found at this link.