GoKawiilHarvard team boosts insulin-producing cell conversion by silencing ALDH3B2 gene
Harvard Medical School researchers led by postdoctoral researcher Jian Li identified a gene, ALDH3B2, that normally suppresses the natural but rare tendency of pancreatic ductal cells to turn into insulin-producing beta-like cells. Silencing this gene in a genetic screen raised the conversion rate from under 1 percent to about 8.5 percent, and when these altered human cells were transplanted into diabetic mice, the animals began producing human insulin and their blood glucose levels fell close to normal.
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The finding could offer a new route toward regenerating insulin-producing cells in people with diabetes, potentially reducing reliance on insulin injections if the approach proves safe and effective in humans. Because ductal cells already reside in the pancreas and show some natural plasticity, boosting their conversion rate with a single gene target suggests a more direct therapeutic strategy than lab-grown cell transplants, though mouse results do not guarantee similar outcomes in people.
- Silencing gene ALDH3B2 increased ductal-to-beta-like cell conversion from under 1% to about 8.5%
- Transplanted engineered human cells restored near-normal glucose levels in diabetic mice
- Findings point to a potential gene-editing strategy for regenerating insulin production in diabetes
Source: wired.com — Jorge Garay, 2026-09-27
Published there as: “Some Pancreatic Cells Are Just One Genetic Tweak Away From Treating Diabetes”
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