ß1-integrin is a crucial regulator of the exocytotic machinery in pancreatic beta-cells, affecting insulin secretion and integrin trafficking.

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The discovery of insulin in 1921 by Banting and Best laid the foundation for the modern management of diabetes mellitus, a disease that affects millions of Canadians and costs our healthcare system more than $17 billion annually. However, insulin treatment cannot cure diabetes and will not prevent the secondary complications, which are responsible for the devastating morbidity and mortality of this disease. Replacement of insulin-producing (beta) cells through a cell-based therapy (e.g. pancreatic islet transplantation or a bioartificial endocrine pancreas) has the best chance to prevent, reverse or stabilize these complications. However, the scarcity of islets and limitations in our knowledge of the factors influencing islet biology present a major obstacle to the adoption of cell-based therapies as a routine treatment. Advancement in this field requires a thorough understanding of the factors that regulate growth of the islet beta cells and maintain their viability and function.