Life Sciences Commons^™

C-Fos Enhances Functional Β-Cell Mass, Jason Ray, Jeffery Tessem

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes are major global health concerns. Both types of diabetes result in loss of functional β-cell mass, which is defined as the β-cell number multiplied by insulin secretion rate. The number of β-cells is derived from the cellular proliferation and death rates. Increasing functional β-cell mass could cure diabetes through pancreatic islet transplants or by strengthening endogenous cells. Various groups have shown that the β-cells proliferation rate is extremely low after adolescence in the majority of the population. However, β-cell proliferation has been shown to increase during physiological conditions such as pregnancy and obesity (1). …