A single-cell multi-omic atlas of the human pancreas reveals potential for cellular plasticity across development, health, and disease.
Single-cell multiomics analysis of over four million human pancreatic cells uncovers fetal-like plasticity in adult centroacinar-like cells and lineage dynamics across development and disease.
- Why it matters: Understanding pancreatic cellular diversity and plasticity is crucial for addressing major diseases like diabetes, yet current knowledge remains limited, hindering therapeutic advances.
- What they did: The study integrated multiple high-resolution single-cell techniques, including RNA sequencing, chromatin accessibility, spatial transcriptomics, and proteomics, across 57 donors from fetal stages to T2D.
- The result: Findings reveal fetal-like features in adult pCACs, shifts in beta cell subtypes in T2D, and cell-specific responses to glucose, providing a comprehensive framework for pancreas biology and regenerative strategies.