Deep inside our body, there is a small organ called the pancreas. One of its most important jobs is to make a hormone called insulin.
This hormone helps move sugar from our blood into our cells, where it can be used for energy. If the body doesn’t make enough insulin, sugar builds up in the blood, and this can lead to a serious condition called diabetes.
Scientists have long known about special cells in the pancreas called beta cells. These cells are the ones that make insulin. But now, researchers from Weill Cornell Medicine have found something new and exciting—there are actually four different kinds of beta cells. Not all beta cells work the same way.
Dr. James Lo and his research team used a high-tech method to study individual cells from mice. This method helped them see which genes were active in each cell. Genes are like tiny instruction books that tell cells what to do. Their research was published in the science journal Nature Cell Biology.
Among the four types of beta cells, one type stood out. The researchers called them “cluster 1 beta cells.” These cells are very good at making insulin and using sugar. They seem to be the most powerful beta cells—like superheroes in the pancreas.
But people with type 2 diabetes or obesity seem to lose more of these superhero cells than others. This might explain why their bodies have trouble making enough insulin.
The scientists also discovered that these cluster 1 cells have high levels of a certain protein called CD63. This protein acts like a flag, helping scientists easily find these powerful cells.
What’s more, the same kind of superhero beta cells were also found in humans. So, the results from mouse studies could be important for people too.
In their experiments, the team added more cluster 1 beta cells into mice with diabetes. Amazingly, these mice started to have better blood sugar levels. But when they added other types of beta cells, the effect was not as strong. This shows that not all beta cells are equally useful in treating diabetes.
This finding could lead to a new way to help people with diabetes—by increasing the number of superhero beta cells in their body. The next big question for scientists is: why do people with diabetes lose these special cells in the first place?
Dr. Lo’s team is now working to find answers. They also want to see how current diabetes drugs affect each type of beta cell. This could help doctors create better treatments and maybe even find ways to stop diabetes before it starts.
Other studies suggest that healthy foods like whole grains and blueberries, along with vitamins like vitamin D, can also help people with diabetes control their blood pressure. So, there’s more than one way to fight this disease.
This new research brings hope to millions of people. It shows how science is always moving forward to solve health problems and improve lives. Each discovery brings us one step closer to better treatments—and maybe even a cure.
If you care about diabetes, please read studies about the cooking connection between potatoes and diabetes, and low calorie diets may help reverse type 2 diabetes.
For more health information, please see recent studies about protein power: a new ally in diabetes management, and pineapple and diabetes: A sweet surprise.
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