Biology and pathology of the endocrine pancreas

​Our research is based on the following subjects:

1. Regeneration, Differentiation, and Proliferation of Pancreatic beta cells (Jamileh Movassat)

We are currently interested in the role of the Wnt/beta-catenin and Notch/Delta signalling pathways in regulating beta-cell proliferation and neogenesis in normal conditions as well as during the course of situations of compensated growth required to confront the increased need of the organism for insulin in certain physiological (gestation) or pathological (insulin resistance) contexts. Our group is expert in studying beta-cell regeneration and in developing innovative approaches aimed at inducing in situ regeneration of beta cells, especially by activating differentiation of intrapancreatic precursors into beta cells.

2. Impaired insulin exocytosis during type 2 diabetes (Cécile Tourrel-Cuzin)

The pathophysiology of reduced insulin secretion in type 2 diabetes remains badly understood but various clinical experiments and arguments involve distal stages of insulin exocytosis by the pancreatic beta cells. These distal stages involve two partners: the actin cytoskeleton in the subcortical region and the SNARE proteins that regulate the accosting of the granules secreted and their fusion with the plasma membrane in response to an external stimulus such as glucose. Interactions between the actin filament network and the SNARE proteins are crucial in the optimal activation of this exocytosis in response to glucose.