< Back to previous page
Project
The role of Geminin in pancreas development (FWOAL533)
THE ROLE OF GEMININ IN PANCREAS DEVELOPMENT A. Background and significance Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disease caused by an absolute (type 1) or relative (type II) deficiency of beta cells. Transplantation of donor-derived beta cells can render patients insulin-independent and arrest disease progression
but the shortage in donor material makes beta cell replacement therapy only available to a limited number of patients. Transplantation of alternative sources of insulin-producing cells as well as regenerative therapy might offer a solution to this problem. These approaches heavily depend on a complete understanding of the developmental program guiding beta cell differentiation. Much is already known about beta cell ontogeny 1-3, but major questions remain. E.g. the exact mechanisms directing a proliferating (Pdx1-positive) pancreas progenitor cell towards a differentiating (Ngn3-positive) endocrine cell are yet to be unravelled. We hypothesize that Geminin, a coiled-coil protein known to regulate neural development but whose function in the pancreas has not been thoroughly studied so far, is a crucial factor in proliferation and differentiation of beta cell progenitors. The current project aims at investigating the role of Geminin in embryonic development of beta cells and to shed light on the mechanisms that control regeneration of beta cells. B. Geminin in neurogenesis
but the shortage in donor material makes beta cell replacement therapy only available to a limited number of patients. Transplantation of alternative sources of insulin-producing cells as well as regenerative therapy might offer a solution to this problem. These approaches heavily depend on a complete understanding of the developmental program guiding beta cell differentiation. Much is already known about beta cell ontogeny 1-3, but major questions remain. E.g. the exact mechanisms directing a proliferating (Pdx1-positive) pancreas progenitor cell towards a differentiating (Ngn3-positive) endocrine cell are yet to be unravelled. We hypothesize that Geminin, a coiled-coil protein known to regulate neural development but whose function in the pancreas has not been thoroughly studied so far, is a crucial factor in proliferation and differentiation of beta cell progenitors. The current project aims at investigating the role of Geminin in embryonic development of beta cells and to shed light on the mechanisms that control regeneration of beta cells. B. Geminin in neurogenesis
Date:1 Jan 2010 → 31 Dec 2013
Keywords:Immunocytochemistry, Apoptosis, Endocrine Pancreatic Tumors, Pancreas, Zollinger Ellison Syndrome, Development, Endocrine, Cancer, Diabetes, Cell Biology, Histology, Morphogenesis Of Endocrine Pancreas, Morphology, Microscopy, Cell Growth And Differentiation, Men-I, Islet Cell Transplantation
Disciplines:Basic sciences, Biological sciences