In Cell, Chutima Talchai Demonstrates Insulin-Producing Cells De-differentiate in Type 2 Diabetes
Counter to the prevailing theory that beta cells die-off in Type 2 diabetes patients, NYSCF – Druckenmiller Fellow and postdoctoral research scientist at Columbia University Medical Center Chutima Talchai, PhD, is co-author on a paper in Cell that suggests these insulin-producing cells de-differentiate. Employing cellular lineage tracking, Dr. Talchai and her colleagues followed beta cells in Type 2 diabetic mice models. They discovered that these cells reverted to an immature state, rendered unable to produce insulin. These results could inform how diabetes is treated by identifying an agent to help re-differentiate these affected cells.