Quinn Peterson, PhD
Assistant Professor
Mayo Clinic
Featured in the Session: Lessons from Islet Biology for Next-Generation Therapies
When
Sunday, June 7
at 4:30 p.m.
Where
355 (Level 3)
Ernest N. Morial Convention Center
What is your presentation about?
My presentation will focus on how stem cell-derived alpha (SC-α) cells can be used to model key features of diabetes-related alpha cell dysfunction in a human in vitro system. Specifically, the work demonstrates the development of glucagon hypersecretion, altered proglucagon processing, and diabetes-related transcriptional changes in SC-α cells, while also identifying potential strategies to correct these dysfunctional phenotypes. This work highlights the growing importance of alpha cells in understanding diabetes biology beyond the traditional beta cell-centered view of the disease.
How do you hope your presentation will impact diabetes research or care?
Developing next generation therapies for the treatment of diabetes is a critical need for patients. I hope this presentation will help broaden the field’s understanding of how alpha cell dysfunction contributes to diabetes progression and glucose instability. By establishing scalable human stem cell-derived models of diabetes-related alpha cells, this work may accelerate the development of therapies that better restore physiologic islet function and improve outcomes for people living with diabetes.
How did you become involved with this area of diabetes research or care?
In addition to my scientific interests in developing next generation therapies, my interest in improving diabetes care is also deeply personal, shaped by my experience as a parent of children living with type 1 diabetes and a desire to help advance therapies that meaningfully improve patients’ lives. My laboratory’s focus has been on the use of stem cell derived islets to address unmet needs. As we expanded our ability to generate multiple endocrine cell types from stem cells, it became increasingly clear that alpha cells play a critical and underappreciated role in diabetes.