Converting hepatocytes to β-cells—a new approach for diabetes? (original) (raw)

Nature Medicine volume 6, pages 505–506 (2000)Cite this article

PDX-1 encodes a homeodomain protein involved in pancreas development and islet-cell function, and transfer of this gene to liver cells induces them to produce insulin in diabetic mice. Therapeutic strategies for diabetes should focus not only on transplantation approaches, but also on the induction of surrogate β cells to replace impaired islet-cell function in diabetics (pages 568–572).

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Figure 1: Transfer of a PDX-1 transgene to the liver through an adenoviral vector results in the activation of β cell-specific genes in some transduced hepatocytes, in particular genes for proinsulin and prohormone convertases PC1 and PC3.

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  1. Dept of Genetics, Development & Molecular Pathology, ICGM, INSERM, 24, rue du Faubourg St Jacques, 75014, PARIS, France
    Axel Kahn

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  1. Axel Kahn
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Kahn, A. Converting hepatocytes to β-cells—a new approach for diabetes? .Nat Med 6, 505–506 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1038/74980

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