Functional β-cell mass loss leads to the pathogenesis of type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) and also adds to type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Genetically induced downregulation of Arx, a key transcription factor for glucagon-producing α-cell specification and phenotype, in α-cells converts them into insulin-producing β-like cells in vivo, as shown by Nouha Ben-Othman and co-workers in 2013. The compounds have then identified that lead to a similar outcome and found the neurotransmitter GABA inhibits Arx expression in α-cells. GABA treatment induced two rounds of β-like cell neogenesis following two cycles of streptozotocin-induced β-cell death, twice reverting severe stre...
