Controversy over whether pancreatic islet cells arise from adult stem or progenitor-like cells actually predates the discovery of insulin, and the recent use of islet transplantation to treat diabetes has only intensified interest in this question. Recent breakthroughs, particularly those based on Cre-loxP lineage-tracing in the mouse, have resolved some aspects of this controversy, but not all. We now know that insulin-producing β-cells and other islet cells derive from multipotent progenitors in the embryo, but that their maintenance and expansion in postnatal life is driven primarily by proliferation of existing differentiated cells. This appears to be true even during regeneration, and seems to apply to the exocrine acinar cells as well as islets. Journal Article is sometimes called a Scientific Article, a Peer-Reviewed Article, or a Scholarly Research Article. Together, journal articles in a particular field are often referred to as The Literature. Journal articles are most often Primary Research Articles. However, they can also be Review Articles. These types of articles have different aims and requirements. Sometimes, an article describes a new tool or method. Because articles in scientific journals are specific, meticulously cited and peer-reviewed, journal databases are the best place to look for information on previous research on your species. Without a background in the field, journal articles may be hard to understand - however, you do not need to understand an entire article to be able to get valuable information from it.
Last date updated on April, 2024
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