@article{1ff90f08b70a4de1a6aaf78b9f379062,
title = "Neonatal pancreatic pericytes support β-cell proliferation",
abstract = "Objective: The maintenance and expansion of β-cell mass rely on their proliferation, which reaches its peak in the neonatal stage. β-cell proliferation was found to rely on cells of the islet microenvironment. We hypothesized that pericytes, which are components of the islet vasculature, support neonatal β-cell proliferation. Methods: To test our hypothesis, we combined in vivo and in vitro approaches. Briefly, we used a Diphtheria toxin-based transgenic mouse system to specifically deplete neonatal pancreatic pericytes in vivo. We further cultured neonatal pericytes isolated from the neonatal pancreas and combined the use of a β-cell line and primary cultured mouse β-cells. Results: Our findings indicate that neonatal pancreatic pericytes are required and sufficient for β-cell proliferation. We observed impaired proliferation of neonatal β-cells upon in vivo depletion of pancreatic pericytes. Furthermore, exposure to pericyte-conditioned medium stimulated proliferation in cultured β-cells. Conclusions: This study introduces pancreatic pericytes as regulators of neonatal β-cell proliferation. In addition to advancing current understanding of the physiological β-cell replication process, these findings could facilitate the development of protocols aimed at expending these cells as a potential cure for diabetes.",
keywords = "Beta-cells, Islets, Neonatal pancreas, Pericytes, Vasculature",
author = "Alona Epshtein and Eleonor Rachi and Lina Sakhneny and Shani Mizrachi and Daria Baer and Limor Landsman",
note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2017 The Authors",
year = "2017",
month = oct,
doi = "10.1016/j.molmet.2017.07.010",
language = "אנגלית",
volume = "6",
pages = "1330--1338",
journal = "Molecular Metabolism",
issn = "2212-8778",
publisher = "Elsevier GmbH",
number = "10",
}