The vertebrate pancreas has two glands: the exocrine pancreas secrets and transports digestive enzymes to the duodenum for food digestion and the endocrine islets of Langerhans secret hormones to regulate a variety of physiological procedures. Diseases related to the pancreas include pancreatic cancer, whose diagnosis is dismal, and diabetes mellitus, which currently afflicts over 16 million individuals in the United States alone. Pancreas-related studies not only shed light on the basic mechanisms underlying organogenesis, but also have an impact on health issues as well.

Despite the increased efforts in understanding the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying pancreas development and maintenance, little is known about the regulatory interactions that lead to the pancreatic cell differentiation and regeneration. The Gu lab investigates pancreas development and islet renewal using molecular genetic approaches. Lab members combine microarray and bioinformatics to identify candidate genes that are expressed at different stages during islet development. Then, gene knockout and ectopic expression are used to evaluate the function of selected genes in mouse and chicken embryos. The Gu Lab has generated several knockout mouse lines and their phenotypes are currently being characterized, with one mutant displaying postnatal lethality phenotype.

For more information about Dr. Gu visit his Vanderbilt Faculty Page

NEWEST PUBLICATIONS

A CK19 (CreERT) knockin mouse line allows for conditional DNA reombination in epithelial cells in multiple endodermal organs.  2008 genesis 46: 318-323

MafA is a dedicated activator of the insulin gene in vivo.  2008 Journal of Endocrinology 198: 271-279

Myt1 and Ngn3 fom a feed-forward expression loop to promote endocrine islet cll differentiation.  2008 Developmental Biology 317: 531-540