A study in Germany revealed that pig pancreas development closely resembles humans, making pigs valuable for studying pancreatic diseases, including diabetes. 

Researchers at Helmholtz Munich and the German Center for Diabetes Research examined more than 120,000 cells from pig pancreases from various stages of pregnancy. To compare between species, the researchers used datasets from human foetal pancreas samples and mouse embryos. The team found that the pancreas in pigs and humans share the same developmental timeline and gene activity, including how insulin-producing beta cells – which malfunction in diabetes – mature. 

The study also identified a special cell group, the primed endocrine cell (PEC), which can differentiate into cells that produce hormones and are present in both pig and human embryos, but not in mice.  

“This knowledge is essential for regenerating beta cells in people with diabetes as a causal therapy in the future,” said Heiko Lickert, lead author of the study published in Nature Communications.  

Current strategies for regenerating insulin-producing beta cells require a protein called neurogenin-3, which is sometimes mutated in diabetes patients and is not required by PEC cells. “These PECs could represent an alternative source for the regeneration of insulin-producing beta cells,” added Lickert.