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Journal of Undergraduate Research

Keywords

HDAC1, B-cell proliferation, decreased p15 expression

College

Life Sciences

Department

Nutrition, Dietetics, and Food Science

Abstract

The body maintains normoglycemia through pancreatic β-cells which sense elevation in circulating glucose levels and secrete insulin to maintain the correct blood glucose concentration. A decrease in functional pancreatic β-cell mass leads to Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes. Each form has different initial causes, but both forms ultimately result in decreased functional β-cell mass. Functional β-cell mass is defined as the rate of glucose stimulated insulin secretion multiplied by the total β-cell mass. The total β-cell mass is a function of cellular proliferation and death rates. β-cells have a very low proliferation rate, therefore determining the mechanisms that induce β-cell replication for pancreatic islet transplantation, or increasing the endogenous β-cell population could be used to cure diabetes.

Included in

Nutrition Commons

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