Publications by authors named "Jennifer H R Kenty"
The generation of pancreatic cell types from renewable cell sources holds promise for cell replacement therapies for diabetes. Although most effort has focused on generating pancreatic beta cells, considerable evidence indicates that glucagon secreting alpha cells are critically involved in disease progression and proper glucose control. Here we report on the generation of stem cell-derived human pancreatic alpha (SC-alpha) cells from pluripotent stem cells via a transient pre-alpha cell intermediate.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFStem-cell-derived tissues could transform disease research and therapy, yet most methods generate functionally immature products. We investigate how human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) differentiate into pancreatic islets in vitro by profiling DNA methylation, chromatin accessibility, and histone modification changes. We find that enhancer potential is reset upon lineage commitment and show how pervasive epigenetic priming steers endocrine cell fates.
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- Traditional methods for assessing pancreatic β cell function in diabetes rely on manual handling and time-consuming assays, making them less efficient for large-scale testing.* -
- The newly designed Islet on a Chip uses thermoplastic microfluidics to automate islet loading, stimulation, and insulin sensing, improving ease of use and scalability.* -
- This innovative device delivers synchronized glucose pulses and continuously measures insulin secretion, potentially speeding up research and treatment development for diabetes.*
Article Synopsis
- * The research shows that healthy mouse islet cells react consistently to glucose, while diabetic mouse cells show weaker or no response, indicating a higher rate of dysfunctional cells in diabetes.
- * By analyzing calcium changes in individual cells alongside gene expression, researchers found that healthy β cells have strong responses and express specific markers, while diabetic cells perform poorly on multiple glucose challenges, highlighting the need for comprehensive testing.