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Pancreatic Beta-Cell

Meaning

The pancreatic beta-cell is a specialized endocrine cell located within the Islets of Langerhans in the pancreas, serving as the body’s principal glucose sensor and insulin-secreting unit. These cells are essential for maintaining euglycemia, the state of normal blood sugar regulation, by dynamically adjusting insulin output in response to circulating glucose concentrations. Progressive dysfunction or loss of beta-cell mass is the central pathological defect underlying both type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Protecting the function and viability of these cells is a major therapeutic goal in metabolic health.