Abstract:
Among the three major pancreatic islet cells, the somatostatin-secreting delta-cell is perhaps the most enigmatic. Until recently, studies of delta-cell function have been hamstrung by the difficulty of identifying and isolating these cells. Because somatostatin potently inhibits insulin and glucagon secretion in a paracrine manner, and these processes become impaired in diabetes, a greater focus on delta-cell biology seems warranted. In my talk, I will review our delta-cell studies over the past 25 years and the technologies we have used. I will start with the metabolic regulation of delta-cells and whether it is intrinsic or mediated by paracrine factors. I will then turn to how the delta-cell communicates with its endocrine neighbors. Finally, I will consider the delta-cell in diabetes (especially type 1 diabetes) and whether somatostatin secretion or action can be pharmacologically targeted.
Biography:
Patrik Rorsman, is Professor of Diabetic Medicine at the University of Oxford, UK, and Distinguished Investigator at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden. He has also held visiting professorships at Ulster University and the University of Innsbruck.
He received his PhD in Cell Biology and Histology from Uppsala University, followed by predoctoral and postdoctoral research at the Max-Planck-Institute for Biophysical Chemistry.
His research focuses on the cellular and molecular mechanisms of insulin secretion and the pathophysiology of type 2 diabetes. His work has been recognized with numerous awards, including the Nordic Prize in Medicine (2019), the Feldberg Award (2016), the Eriksson Prize in Medicine (2014), and the Albert Renold Prize (2013). He is a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS) and the Academy of Medical Sciences (FMedSci), and has published 298 papers with over 38,000 citations (Web of Science, 1980–2025).
