Pathways leading to beta cell division identified, may aid diabetes treatment

Pancreatic beta cells help maintain normal blood glucose levels by producing the hormone insulin -- the master regulator of energy (glucose). Impairment and the loss of beta cells interrupts insulin production, leading to type 1 and 2 diabetes. Using single-cell RNA sequencing, researchers have, for the first time, mapped out pathways that regulate beta cell growth that could be exploited to trick them to regenerate.