TU Dresden Team Discovers 'First Responder' Cells in Pancreas, Revolutionizing Diabetes Understanding
An international team led by Prof. Nikolay Ninov at TU Dresden has made a groundbreaking discovery that could revolutionise our understanding of diabetes and its treatment. The team has identified 'First Responder' cells in the pancreas that are more sensitive to blood sugar levels than other beta cells.
The team's research, published in the journal Nature, involved studying young zebrafish due to their transparent skin, which allows direct observation of the pancreas. Using optogenetics, the researchers were able to study the function of individual beta cells in isolation. This led to the discovery of First Responder cells, which produce a key enzyme that converts inactive vitamin B6 into its active form for cells.
The team now suspects that low vitamin B6 levels may contribute to the occurrence of metabolic diseases and type 2 diabetes. They are currently investigating this connection. Interestingly, the cells likely responsible for this first reaction to blood sugar levels and producing the key enzyme are not beta cells, but pancreatic alpha cells, which act as the control center for regulating the activity of other beta cells.
The discovery of First Responder cells could pave the way for new insights into the development of diabetes and new treatment methods. The team's use of zebrafish as a model, due to the similarity of their pancreatic function to that of humans, has proven valuable in this research. Further investigation into the role of vitamin B6 in metabolic diseases is underway.
