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

1921年，班廷和贝斯特发现胰岛素，为糖尿病的现代管理奠定了基础。糖尿病影响着数百万加拿大人，每年花费我们的医疗保健系统超过170亿美元。然而，胰岛素治疗不能治愈糖尿病，也不能预防继发性并发症，而继发性并发症是造成这种疾病毁灭性发病率和死亡率的原因。通过细胞疗法（如胰岛移植或生物人工内分泌胰腺）替代产生胰岛素的细胞最有可能预防、逆转或稳定这些并发症。然而，胰岛的稀缺性和我们对影响胰岛生物学因素的知识的局限性，是采用基于细胞的疗法作为常规治疗的主要障碍。这一领域的进展需要对调节胰岛β细胞生长并维持其活力和功能的因素有透彻的了解。

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.