Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41385368›Full record

ArticleCell reports2025

DEC1 regulates human β cell functional maturation and circadian rhythm.

Sam Preza, Bliss Zheng, Zihan Gao, Akshaya Biju, Mai Liu, Zhihui Cheng, Matthew Choi, Juan R Alvarez-Dominguez

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Cell reports, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Sam PrezaDepartment of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Chronobiology and Sleep Institute, and Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Institute for Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
Bliss ZhengDepartment of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
Zihan GaoDepartment of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Chronobiology and Sleep Institute, and Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Institute for Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
Akshaya BijuDepartment of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
Mai LiuDepartment of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Chronobiology and Sleep Institute, and Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Institute for Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
Zhihui ChengDepartment of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
Matthew ChoiDepartment of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
Juan R Alvarez-DominguezChronobiology and Sleep Institute, and Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Institute for Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA. Electronic address: juan.alvarez@pennmedicine.upenn.edu.

Funding

VIRAL VECTOR COREP30DK019525 · NIDDK · UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA · PI DOUGLAS J EPSTEIN · 1986 to 2026
$48.3M
Renewal of the Human Islet Research Enhancement Center (HIREC) for the Type-1-Diabetes-Focused Human Islet Research Network (HIRN).U24DK104162 · NIDDK · BECKMAN RESEARCH INSTITUTE/CITY OF HOPE · PI John S. Kaddis, Joyce Carol Niland · 2019 to 2026
$12.3M
Charting human islet maturation via combined soft nanoelectronics and single-cell spatial transcriptomicsDP1DK130673 · NIDDK · HARVARD UNIVERSITY · PI LIU, JIA · 2021 to 2025
$4.3M
How cell maturation is regulated by circadian and metabolic rhythmsR35GM157320 · NIGMS · UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA · PI Juan R Alvarez · 2025 to 2026
$813k
Circadian Control of Pancreatic Beta-cell Maturation by Dec1K01DK129442 · NIDDK · UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA · PI ALVAREZ, JUAN R · 2021 to 2023
$580k
NIDDK NIH HHS DP1 DK130673NIDDK NIH HHS K01 DK129442NIDDK NIH HHS P30 DK019525NIDDK NIH HHS U24 DK104162NIGMS NIH HHS R35 GM157320
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Stem cell-derived islet (SC-islet) organoids offer hope for cell replacement therapy in diabetes, but their immature function remains a challenge. Mature islet function requires the β cell circadian clock, yet how the clock regulates maturation is unclear. Here, we show that a circadian transcription factor specific to maturing SC-β cells, DEC1, regulates insulin responsiveness to glucose. SC-islet organoids form normally from DEC1-ablated human pluripotent stem cells, but their insulin release capacity and glucose threshold fail to increase during in vitro culture and upon transplant. This deficit reflects the downregulation of maturity-linked effectors of glucose utilization and insulin exocytosis, blunting glycolytic and oxidative metabolism, and is rescued by increasing metabolic flux. Moreover, DEC1 is needed to boost SC-islet maturity by synchronizing circadian glucose-responsive insulin secretion rhythms and clock machinery. Thus, DEC1 links circadian rhythms to human β cell maturation, highlighting the essential role of circadian control in generating fully functional SC-islet organoids.

Indexed as

Basic Helix-Loop-Helix ProteinsCircadian RhythmHomeodomain ProteinsInsulin-Secreting CellsCell DifferentiationGlucoseHumansInsulinInsulin SecretionOrganoidsBasic Helix-Loop-Helix ProteinsBHLHE41 protein, humanGlucoseHomeodomain ProteinsInsulin3D organoidscell replacement therapycircadian clockCP: developmental biologyCP: metabolismglucose-stimulated insulin secretionmetabolic synchronizationSC-β cell maturationβ-cell energetics

Identifiers

PMID41385368
PMCPMC12904728

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.