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Matt Wortham

@worthamlab.bsky.social
142 followers 114 following 24 posts

Assistant Professor at the Barbara Davis Center for Diabetes at University of Colorado Anschutz. The Wortham lab studies how nutrients govern adaptive and maladaptive responses by pancreatic beta cells in health and metabolic disease. www.worthamlab.org

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Reposted by Matt Wortham
Diabetologia @diabetologiajnl.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Harmine enhanced human beta cell identity/function through PKA signalling, independently of DYRK1A-mediated proliferation, thus identifying new mechanisms and potential therapeutic targets for diabetes. #Diabetes #BetaCells link.springer.com/article/10.1... 🔓️
link.springer.com
Harmine selectively enhances human beta cell identity markers and function via protein kinase A pathways - Diabetologia
Aims/hypothesis Harmine and other small-molecule inhibitors of the kinase, dual tyrosine-regulated kinase 1A (DYRK1A), induce human beta cells to replicate and regenerate in vitro and in vivo and are…
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Reposted by Matt Wortham
Diabetologia @diabetologiajnl.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Freedom of speech is essential for rigour in scientific publishing. In Diabetologia, we provide a platform for the editors of Diabetes Care and the ADA leadership to present their perspectives on events following the ADA Scientific Sessions in June link.springer.com/article/10.1...
link.springer.com
Standing together for diabetes - Diabetologia
Diabetologia -
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Patrick MacDonald🇨🇦 @bcellorg.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
The comparative cell physiology of stem-cell-derived and primary human beta cells. A new review from our group and colleagues. rdcu.be/1GZjWQVvfQca
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Cell Metabolism @cp-cellmetabolism.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
Online now: A single-cell multi-omic atlas of the human pancreas reveals potential for cellular plasticity across development, health, and disease
dlvr.it
A single-cell multi-omic atlas of the human pancreas reveals potential for cellular plasticity across development, health, and disease
Mereu et al. present ESPACE, a single-cell multi-omic atlas of the human pancreas spanning fetal development, adulthood, and type 2 diabetes. Combining transcriptomics, chromatin accessibility, and spatial imaging, they uncover a rare population of plastic centroacinar cells and hidden diversity among hormone-producing islet cells, informing pancreas regeneration and disease.
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Reposted by Matt Wortham
Islet Biology Lab - UMH @isletbiologylab.bsky.social · 07/08/2026
Cuaycal et al. characterized transcriptional changes in islets across the natural history of #type1diabetes to provide mechanistic evidence underlying the loss of first-phase insulin response. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
biorxiv.org
Mitochondrial and protein homeostasis pathways are transcriptionally impaired in islets during type 1 diabetes pathogenesis
The decline in first-phase insulin response (FPIR) during the presymptomatic period of type 1 diabetes (T1D) is well established. In-situ functional studies with pancreas tissue slices showed that β-c...
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Matt Wortham @worthamlab.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
Today we bid farewell to our fantastic summer undergraduate Matthew, who will be finishing his senior year at Bellarmine University before embarking on his next research adventure. Best of luck Matthew!
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Reposted by Matt Wortham
Islet Biology Lab - UMH @isletbiologylab.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
Sharma et al. engineered mice genetically lacking GRP78 in pancreatic β cells to explore mechanisms of β cell failure during ER stress with unresolved unfolded protein response. www.jci.org/articles/vie...
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Mark Huising @huisinglab.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
Pleased to report we made the cover of the upcoming issue of Diabetologia for our most recent paper!! The effort was led by Ryan Hart (@ryanhart13.bsky.social). Description in the ALT text, full open acces link here: rdcu.be/fptyS
The cover image of the September issue of the scientific journal 'Diabetologia'.

The cover picture shows a high-resolution image of a live murine pancreatic islet expressing the calcium indicator GCaMP6s in every islet cell. Alpha and beta cells are pseudocoloured in hot pink and grey blue, respectively. Select single cell calcium responses to a succession of stimuli, including glucose, amino acids, somatostatin, epinephrine and potassium chloride, are highlighted. The extent and mechanisms of somatostatin inhibition of beta and alpha cell calcium and cAMP signalling have not previously been compared directly in real time. In the September issue of Diabetologia, Hart et al report that during nutrient stimulation, somatostatin inhibits insulin secretion indirectly by restraining alpha cell calcium and cAMP downstream of somatostatin receptor 2; this prevents glucagon from stimulating beta cells.

Cover credit: Ryan Hart and Mark O. Huising (UC Davis, CA, USA)
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Islet Biology Lab - UMH @isletbiologylab.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
Varghese et al. uncover novel developmental mechanisms that shape the distinct DNA damage responses of postnatal β- and α-cells during growth and diabetes. diabetesjournals.org/diabetes/art...
diabetesjournals.org
Developmental Control of DNA Damage Responses in α- and β-Cells Shapes the Selective β-Cell Susceptibility in Diabetes
Accumulation of DNA damage drives β-cell dysfunction, senescence, and death in type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Although α-cell dysfunction also contributes to
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Reposted by Matt Wortham
Peter Thompson @thompsonisletlab.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
New paper from our lab 🎉How do IFN response and senescence relate in T1D? New work led by Roozbeh Motlagh in our group shows they are largely distinct responses in human islets and SC islet cells! www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
tandfonline.com
IFNα and bleomycin-induced DNA damage activate distinct stress responses in human islets and induced pluripotent stem cell-derived islet cells
Pancreatic β-cells undergo different stress responses during the development of type 1 diabetes (T1D), such as the type I interferon (IFN) response and senescence. Although the IFN response leads t...
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Daniel R. Weilandt Ph.D. @danielweilandt.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
1/11 New paper out today in Cell Metabolism 🧵 We set out to understand how the body keeps its fuels in balance, and discovered competitive catabolism, which provides a physiological explanation for why obesity causes hyperglycemia and hyperinsulinemia. doi.org/10.1016/j.cm...
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Cell Metabolism @cp-cellmetabolism.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
Online now: Competitive catabolism drives hyperglycemia and hyperinsulinemia in obesity
dlvr.it
Competitive catabolism drives hyperglycemia and hyperinsulinemia in obesity
The mechanisms coordinating the homeostasis of glucose, lactate, fatty acids, and ketones remain unknown. Through quantitative modeling and experiments, Weilandt et al. reveal that these nutrients compete to be oxidized to meet systemic energy demands. Competitive catabolism normally produces homeostasis but, in obesity, converts increased lipolytic propensity into hyperglycemia and hyperinsulinemia.
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Reposted by Matt Wortham
Francis Lynn 🇨🇦 @nictitate.bsky.social · 17/07/2026
A few unanswered questions about the events at the ADA Scientific Sessions this year from Limbaugh and Griffin zenodo.org/records/2130...
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Eric Topol @erictopol.bsky.social · 04/07/2026
On our 250th birthday, celebrating the contribution of immigrants and international collaboration —46% of people with doctoral-level degrees working in US science and engineering fields are foreign-born
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Patrick MacDonald🇨🇦 @bcellorg.bsky.social · 09/06/2026
Multi-modal comparison of primary and stem cell-derived β-cells nominates targets for maturation www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
biorxiv.org
Multi-modal comparison of primary and stem cell-derived β-cells nominates targets for maturation
Stem-cell-derived β-like-cells (SCβ-cells) provide a promising platform for diabetes modelling and cell replacement therapy, but their incomplete functional maturation remains a challenge. Here, we co...
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Mark Huising @huisinglab.bsky.social · 06/06/2026
My friends and colleagues were thrown out of the ADA meeting by the ADA for handing out copies of an editorial published in the ADA's own journal. We're talking 2 past ADA presidents and distinguished awardees including the 2025 Banting Award recipient. ADA needs to reverse course and apologize.
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Aaron Cox, PhD @aaronrcox.bsky.social · 03/06/2026
I am excited to speak at this week's #ADASciSessions Ask The Expert: It’s Not Up for Debate: Paracrine Signaling Is Critical in Shaping Insulin Secretion on Sat. June 6 at 3:15 pm, Room 356. www.adameetingnews.org/presenter-pr...
adameetingnews.org
Presenter Profile: The Contribution(s) of the Delta Cell - ADA Meeting News
Aaron Cox, PhD, previews a presentation at the 2026 Scientific Sessions. Attendees in New Orleans can watch the session in-person Saturday, June 6, at 3:15 p.m. CT.
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Geming Lu @brian98er.bsky.social · 01/06/2026
Distinct senescent β-cell senotypes differentially drive islet aging and dysfunction. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
biorxiv.org
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Matt Wortham @worthamlab.bsky.social · 26/05/2026
This merits strong pushback. At the very least we can address it in our comments on the NIH-Wide Strategic Plan (where many of us are also vouching for continued support of animal modeling). Deadline to submit comments is midnight EST. grants.nih.gov/grants/guide...
grants.nih.gov
NOT-OD-26-047: Request for Information (RFI): Inviting Comments and Suggestions on a Framework for the NIH-Wide Strategic Plan for Fiscal Years 2027-2031
NIH Funding Opportunities and Notices in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts: Request for Information (RFI): Inviting Comments and Suggestions on a Framework for the NIH-Wide Strategic Plan for Fis...
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Matt Wortham @worthamlab.bsky.social · 19/05/2026
This was a massive effort spearheaded by @saisomesh.bsky.social with @sanderlaberlin.bsky.social--hope you'll read it! www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
biorxiv.org
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Matt Wortham @worthamlab.bsky.social · 18/05/2026
Therefore, programs for adapting the insulin secretory response in physiological conditions i.e. tinyurl.com/hf4mk63y can become maladaptive when chronically activated. We propose that sequential beta cell state transitions underlie beta cell adaptation and failure during the natural history of T2D.
tinyurl.com
JCI - Nutrient regulation of the islet epigenome controls adaptive insulin secretion
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Matt Wortham @worthamlab.bsky.social · 18/05/2026
We show that workload regulates beta cell states in part via the epigenome. Using scRNA-seq, we identified a beta cell state that accumulates in models of increased workload. Lsd1 restrains this cell state transition and prevents beta cell exhaustion when workload is chronically elevated (2/3).
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Matt Wortham @worthamlab.bsky.social · 18/05/2026
Excited to share our latest work on beta cell adaptation and failure during increased workload! We found that deletion of the chromatin modifier Lsd1 has differing effects on glycemia in insulin resistant and insulin sensitive models via regulation of beta cell states (1/3) tinyurl.com/yxackfce
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Matt Wortham @worthamlab.bsky.social · 18/05/2026
We are once again recruiting at all levels! Follow these links to access listings for postdoc tinyurl.com/36bttteu and technician tinyurl.com/3ycemtdt positions. Read more about our research in our latest preprint tinyurl.com/yxackfce and on our website www.worthamlab.org.
tinyurl.com
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Reposted by Matt Wortham
Peter Thompson @thompsonisletlab.bsky.social · 06/04/2026
How are we learning from #T1D trials and moving towards precision medicine? Congrats 🎉to Jasmine in the lab on writing a fantastic review article on this topic at Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism! dom-pubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
dom-pubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com
Toward Personalized Medicine in Type 1 Diabetes: Understanding How Patient Heterogeneity Influences Therapeutic Efficacy
Pharmacologic interventions for type 1 diabetes (T1D) have advanced significantly in recent years with the advent of the first FDA approved therapy teplizumab for delaying symptomatic disease onset i...
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Reposted by Matt Wortham
Science Magazine @science.org · 03/04/2026
With the potential to limit T cell activity locally, a new drug called ImmTAAI may enable targeted immunoregulation treatment for type 1 diabetes. Learn more in this week’s issue of #ScienceAdvances: scim.ag/3NQusPc
Live human pancreas slice with islet cells stained red.
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Reposted by Matt Wortham
Feyza Engin @enginlab.bsky.social · 26/03/2026
I’m excited to share that our review article, co-authored with my colleague Dr. Decio Eizirik, is out today in Science Translational Medicine. www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
science.org
Beyond bystanders: How β cell stress shapes the autoimmune response in T1D
β cell stress not only drives loss of functional β cell mass but also may fuel autoimmunity in type 1 diabetes.
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Reposted by Matt Wortham
Metabolism in Development and Physiology, Virtual Seminar Series @devmetphys.bsky.social · 03/03/2026
We are very excited for the next Zoom seminar of Metabolism in Development & Physiology! 12th of March, 3pm CET/ 2pm GMT/ 9am EST Our speakers are: Kathryn Wellen (University of Pennsylvania) Saraswathi Pillai (Columbia University) Sign up to get the Zoom link: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
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Giordano Lippi @lippilab.bsky.social · 24/02/2026
Chuffed to see our paper with @geneyeo.bsky.social finally published in @nature.com. www.nature.com/articles/s41... Very grateful to Fede, Susie, and Dave from my lab, and Sammi, Eric, and Pratibha from Gene's lab. What did we find? ⬇️ ⬇️ ⬇️
nature.com
Single-cell and isoform-specific translational profiling of the mouse brain - Nature
Post-transcriptional regulation of mRNA translation was explored using Ribo-STAMP and single-cell RNA sequencing to reveal cell-type-specific and isoform-specific translation patterns across hipp...
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Abby Cheruiyot @abbycheru.bsky.social · 19/12/2025
I’m so excited to share that I’ve accepted an assistant professor position at the University of Colorado Anschutz, BMG department and Barbara Davis Diabetes center! I’m so grateful to many who have helped me get here, especially mentors at Joslin, @hmsbpa.bsky.social @leadingedgeprogram.bsky.social
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Daniel Drucker @danieljdrucker.bsky.social · 11/12/2025
The transcription factor DEC1 links #circadian rhythms to human β cell maturation, highlighting the essential role of circadian control in generating fully functional SC- #islet organoids #stemcells www.cell.com/cell-reports...
cell.com
DEC1 regulates human β cell functional maturation and circadian rhythm
Preza et al. show that DEC1, a circadian clock regulator, promotes mature insulin responses to glucose stimulation in human stem cell-derived islet organoids. DEC1 is restricted to maturing β cells, w...
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Metabolism in Development and Physiology, Virtual Seminar Series @devmetphys.bsky.social · 18/11/2025
💥Call for Speakers💥 Hey metabolism enthusiasts! Do you, or someone you know, dive into the fascinating world of metabolism? 🔬 We are seeking speakers for the Metabolism in Development & Physiology seminars! Showcase your work & connect with our community! 👉 Apply at: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
docs.google.com
Apply to give a talk on Metabolism in Development and Physiology
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Daniel Drucker @danieljdrucker.bsky.social · 10/11/2025
Deadlines are approaching (some next week!) for @keystoneSymposia.bsky.social #IsletBiology & #Diabetes : #BetaCell Compensation, Failure & Recovery, this March in Breckenridge! See scholarship, abstract and discount reg dates: keysym.us/KSDiabetes26 #KSDiabetes26
keysym.us
Islet Biology and Diabetes: Beta Cell Compensation, Failure and Recovery | Keystone Symposia
Join us at the Keystone Symposia on Islet Biology and Diabetes: Beta Cell Compensation, Failure and Recovery, March 2026, in Breckenridge, with field leaders!
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Daniel R. Weilandt Ph.D. @danielweilandt.bsky.social · 31/10/2025
Excited to share my latest postdoc work on systemic metabolic homeostasis! We show that nutrient consumption fluxes compete, and this competitive catabolism helps explain why obesity drives diabetes. Explore the model with our interactive web app: compcat.princeton.edu doi.org/10.1101/2025...
Schematic of the competitive catabolism model
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Kristina Stapornwongkul @kstapornwongkul.bsky.social · 28/10/2025
🚨Excited to kick off our online seminar series on Metabolism in Development and Physiology! Please help us grow a collaborative and supportive community by joining (<1min): forms.gle/Y8QzucogKKrZ... #Metabolism #Development #StemCells Please RT! 🙏
forms.gle
Sign-up form - Metabolism in Development and Physiology Seminar Series
Please fill out your details below if you are interested in receiving updates on the Metabolism in Development and Physiology seminar series. This seminar series will take place every second Thursday ...
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Caroline Bartman @cbartman.bsky.social · 15/10/2025
Love these beautiful pictures! Congrats to Laith et al!!
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Liora Katz @likatz.bsky.social · 10/10/2025
Excited to share our Commentary in JCI. Exploring how SIRT2 regulates human beta cell proliferation www.jci.org/articles/vie... @jci.org
jci.org
JCI - SIRT2 puts the brakes on human β cell proliferation: therapeutic opportunities and next challenges
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Matt Wortham @worthamlab.bsky.social · 02/10/2025
It's great to see the final version of our SIRT2 paper in JCI along with an astute commentary from trailblazers in beta cell regeneration—thanks for highlighting our work! @likatz.bsky.social @donaldscottmssm.bsky.social @jci.org @sanderlaberlin.bsky.social tinyurl.com/y6rx69x7 tinyurl.com/ydvv9u2s
jci.org
JCI - SIRT2 puts the brakes on human β cell proliferation: therapeutic opportunities and next challenges
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Mollie Huber @molliehuber.bsky.social · 28/08/2025
I am excited to announce our paper “Beta cell dysfunction occurs independently of insulitis in type 1 diabetes pathogenesis” is out in Cell Reports! @eaphelps.bsky.social www.cell.com/cell-reports...
cell.com
Beta cell dysfunction occurs independently of insulitis in type 1 diabetes pathogenesis
Huber et al. used live pancreas slices from donors with recently diagnosed type 1 diabetes to reveal beta cell dysfunction independent of local immune cells. Real-time imaging and molecular analyses u...
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Dr. Jeffrey Millman @jeffreymillman.bsky.social · 25/08/2025
Join us for the 2025 Rachmiel Levine-Arthur Riggs Diabetes Research Symposium. We have an amazing program this year focusing on type 1 #diabetes. We have also extended the abstract submission deadline to Sept 19. Register and submit your abstract a www.levinesymposium.com
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Vincent Poitout 🇨🇦 @vpoitout.bsky.social · 18/08/2025
It was great fun to write this review with friends and colleagues Melkam Kebede, Belinda Yau, @jinghughes.bsky.social and Julien Ghislain
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Matt Wortham @worthamlab.bsky.social · 15/08/2025
Simultaneous in vivo calcium imaging of up to 100 islets coupled with CGM measurements in lean and ob/ob mice—this is impressive! www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
biorxiv.org
Glycemia Shift Pancreatic Islets Rhythmicity via δ-α Cell in vivo, Impairment in Diabetes
Blood glucose homeostasis relies on the well-coordinated rhythmic activity of millions of islets throughout the pancreas. Islet rhythmicity is triggered by glucose elevation and mediated by paracrine ...
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Matt Wortham @worthamlab.bsky.social · 01/08/2025
Thanks for the kind words Scott!
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Matt Wortham @worthamlab.bsky.social · 31/07/2025
Based on these preclinical studies, we consider SIRT2 a promising target for stimulating beta cell regeneration in diabetes. Thank you NIH & Breakthrough T1D for funding, @iidp.bsky.social for islets, and collaborators Orian Shirihai, Kristen Wells, @goniaguy4.bsky.social, & @auwerx-lab.bsky.social!
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Matt Wortham @worthamlab.bsky.social · 31/07/2025
Mechanistically, SIRT2 deacetylates glycolytic and TCA enzymes, dampening islet oxygen consumption during hyperglycemia. In addition to its direct effect on metabolism, SIRT2 impacts how beta cells transcriptionally interpret hyperglycemia as a stress.
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Matt Wortham @worthamlab.bsky.social · 31/07/2025
We show that inactivation of SIRT2 increases beta cell proliferation in mice when glucose is elevated above the physiological set point, indicating SIRT2 dampens adaptive beta cell proliferation. SIRT2 also restrains human beta cell proliferation but over a broader range of glucose concentrations.
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Matt Wortham @worthamlab.bsky.social · 31/07/2025
First off, huge shoutout to co-first authors Bastian Ramms, Chun Zeng, and Jackie Benthuysen from Maike Sander’s lab, and to those who helped with revision experiments including my new colleagues at @cuanschutz.bsky.social @cudevbio.bsky.social
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Matt Wortham @worthamlab.bsky.social · 31/07/2025
Out today in @jclinical-invest.bsky.social! We discovered a novel regulator of adaptive beta cell proliferation, the protein deacetylase SIRT2, that acts through a metabolic mechanism. Bluetorial below (1/5). tinyurl.com/ydvv9u2s
tinyurl.com
JCI - The protein deacetylase SIRT2 exerts metabolic control over adaptive β cell proliferation
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Matt Wortham @worthamlab.bsky.social · 30/06/2025
With credit to @huisinglab.bsky.social for inspiring the tradition, today we bid farewell to our very first lab member Sean Lee who is joining the Cell Biology, Stem Cells, and Development PhD program here at @cuanschutz.bsky.social‬. Best of luck Sean, we expect great things from you!
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Matt Wortham @worthamlab.bsky.social · 30/06/2025
These are two important papers that profile beta cell excitotoxicity in response to a sulfonylurea or the VDAC1-stabilizing molecule SW016789. Comparing these studies should make for an excellent journal club. Congrats to all authors! @kalwat.bsky.social tinyurl.com/fwrzrtk9 tinyurl.com/3nzfsp79
sciencedirect.com
VDAC1 is a target for pharmacologically induced insulin hypersecretion in β cells
β cells are dysfunctional in type 2 diabetes (T2D) and congenital hyperinsulinism (HI), but the mechanisms linking hypersecretion to β cell failure ar…
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