The Link Between Blood Vessels and Insulin Production

Researchers from the Department of Cell, Developmental and Regenerative Biology have shown that pericytes, cells surrounding blood vessels, play an essential role in maintaining insulin production by pancreatic beta cells.

Congratulations to Shani Puyesky, Prof. Limor Landsman, and their colleagues from the Department of Cell, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, whose study was selected as Paper of the Month by the journal Diabetes.

Diabetes develops when pancreatic beta (β) cells, which produce insulin, can no longer maintain blood glucose levels within the normal range. These cells are located in small clusters called pancreatic islets, surrounded by a dense network of blood vessels whose role extends beyond supplying oxygen and nutrients.

The research team demonstrated that pericytes, the cells surrounding these blood vessels, are the primary source of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) in human and mouse pancreatic islets. Without pericyte-derived HGF, beta cells produce less insulin, and the expression of key genes associated with beta-cell maturation decreases, leading to glucose intolerance.

The findings highlight a direct connection between the vascular environment of pancreatic islets and insulin production.

Read the full study in Diabetes >