GATA factors in pancreas development and disease

There is an urgent need for the development of novel therapeutics options for diabetic patients given the high prevalence of diabetes worldwide and that, currently, there is no cure for this disease. The transplantation of pancreatic islets that contain insulin-producing cells is a promising therapeutic alternative, particularly for type 1 diabetes. However, the shortage of organ donors constitutes a major limitation for this approach; thus, developing alternative sources of insulin-producing cells is of critical importance. In the last decade, our knowledge of the molecular mechanisms controlling embryonic pancreas development has significantly advanced. More importantly, this knowledge has provided the basis for the in vitro generation of insulin-producing cells from stem cells. Recent studies have revealed that GATA transcription factors are involved in various stages of pancreas formation and in the adult ß cell function. Here, we review the fundamental role of GATA transcription factors in pancreas morphogenesis and their association with congenital diseases associated with pancreas.
L.V. was supported by a contract from Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (RYC‐2013‐14533). This work was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (BFU2017‐82497‐P and RYC‐2013‐14533 to A. R). ISCIII‐Subdirección General de Evaluación y Fomento de la Investigación cofunded with Fondos FEDER (PI16/00175 to D.A.C) and the Andalusian Ministry of Science and Innovation (CTS‐7478 to D.A.C).