BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:researchseminars.org CALSCALE:GREGORIAN X-WR-CALNAME:researchseminars.org BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:Prof. Dr. Juan Dominguez Bendala (University of Miami) DTSTART:20201113T150000Z DTEND:20201113T160000Z DTSTAMP:20260423T040005Z UID:MCB_LUMS/7 DESCRIPTION:Title: Advances in pancreatic beta-cell regeneration\nby Prof. Dr. Juan Domi nguez Bendala (University of Miami) as part of Colloquium zooming Molecula r & Cellular Biology LUMS\n\n\nAbstract\nLoss of β-cell mass and insulin- producing ability is a major challenge in type 1 diabetic patients\, and β-cells have notoriously low proliferating rates in adult humans. Therape utic approaches that could lead to even partial restoration of the insulin -producing ability of the pancreas would address a major therapeutic need. The concept that the exocrine compartment of the pancreas harbors progen itor cells with the ability to give rise to new β-cells through different iation has been debated for years. Our work has focused on the description and characterization of a novel population of multipotent BMP-7-responsiv e progenitor-like cells within the human exocrine pancreas with the potent ial to generate functional endocrine cells. These cells are characterized by the expression of PDX1 and ALK3\, a canonical BMP receptor. We also con firmed that these cells are present in the mouse pancreas\, which affords us the possibility of studying endogenous regeneration in a setting not in volving transplantation. Importantly\, preliminary analysis of samples fro m the nPOD tissue network supports the concept that these cells are presen t in patients who have had T1D for many years\, thus opening the possibili ty of developing regenerative therapies for T1D. In this talk\, we will pr esent our general strategies to: (a) Expand the high-resolution characteri zation of the human pancreatic progenitor cell niche by single-cell analyt ical techniques (Qadir et al\, PNAS\, 2020)\; and (b) Explore real-time β -cell regeneration in human pancreatic slices (Qadir et al.\, Nature Commu nications\, 2020). We will also briefly discuss our parallel studies on th e CRISPR/cas9-mediated insertion of “kill switches” into human pluripo tent stem cells to enhance their safety and efficacy in the context of ong oing and future clinical trials. Taken together\, the topics discussed in today’s seminar will present a clear roadmap towards the implementation of state-of-the-art regenerative medicine approaches in the clinical arena .\n LOCATION:https://researchseminars.org/talk/MCB_LUMS/7/ END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR