Chemical strategies for pancreatic β cell differentiation, reprogramming, and regeneration

Generation of unlimited functional pancreatic beta cells is critical for the study of pancreatic biology and treatment of diabetes mellitus. Recent advances have suggested several promising directions, including directed differentiation of pancreatic beta cells from pluripotent stem cells, reprogramming of pancreatic beta cells from other types of somatic cells, and stimulated proliferation and enhanced functions of existing pancreatic beta cells. Small molecules are useful in generating unlimited numbers of functional pancreatic cells in vitro and could be further developed as drugs to stimulate endogenous pancreatic regeneration. Here, we provide an updated summary of recent major achievements in pancreatic beta cell differentiation, reprogramming, proliferation, and function. These studies will eventually lead to significant advances in the field of pancreatic biology and regeneration.