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First published online 21 December 2006
doi: 10.1242/dev.02770

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Pancreas and beta-cell development: from the actual to the possible

University of Utah, Department of Human Genetics, 15 N. 2030 E. Room 2100, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA.

e-mail: murtaugh{at}genetics.utah.edu

SUMMARY

The development of insulin-producing pancreatic beta (ß)-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 ß-cells. Postnatally, ß-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 ß-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.

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