Research in our laboratory focuses on the developmental biology of the pancreas. We wish to understand how the pancreas normally develops and use that information to grow and develop pancreatic cells (islets of Langerhans) in culture. One goal of this project is to establish how vertebrates make an organ from undifferentiated embryonic cells. A longer-term goal has practical significance: if our studies are successful, it should be possible to apply our conclusions to human cells and provide a source of insulin-producing β cells for transplantation into diabetics.
Work from our laboratory and others has identified genes involved in the various steps of pancreatic development. Yet we still do not know all the genes or steps needed to drive cells from an immature embryonic state to a fully formed β cell. As this information accumulates, we are focusing much of our effort on directing the differentiation of embryonic stem cells, including both mouse and human embryonic stem cells, into pancreatic islets and β cells. If we can direct the differentiation of human cells into functional β cells, we will extend our findings to clinical applications for the treatment of diabetes.