A δ-cell subpopulation with a pro-β-cell identity contributes to efficient age-independent recovery in a zebrafish model of diabetes.

Restoring damaged β-cells in diabetic patients by harnessing the plasticity of other pancreatic cells raises the questions of the efficiency of the process and of the functionality of the new -expressing cells. To overcome the weak regenerative capacity of mammals, we used regeneration-prone zebrafish to study β-cells arising following destruction. We show that most new s cells differ from the original β-cells as they coexpress Somatostatin and Insulin.

Nifurpirinol: A more potent and reliable substrate compared to metronidazole for nitroreductase-mediated cell ablations.

The zebrafish is a popular animal model with well-known regenerative capabilities. To study regeneration in this fish, the nitroreductase/metronidazole-mediated system is widely used for targeted ablation of various cell types. Nevertheless, we highlight here some variability in ablation efficiencies with the metronidazole prodrug that led us to search for a more efficient and reliable compound.