by Lucas Unger This week’s journal club focuses on a study from Science Advances (2022) describing how predator-prey evolution has generated several somatostatin analogs used in venoms.
This study proposes hiPSCs derived SC-islet differentiation as model to study development impact of EDCs on human pancreatic endocrine cell development and maturation. Using a cocktail of BPA, BPS and trans-nonachlor provided comparable results with in vivo studies of fetus exposure to BPA. Congratulations June, Thomas and Lucas!
by Lucas Unger This week’s journal club focuses on a study from Cell Metabolism (2025) describing a regulatory axis where HNF1A controls transcription of A1CF, which orchestrates an RNA splicing program encompassing genes that regulate β cell function.
A tour-de-force demonstrating the abilities of Lucas‘s quantitation tool (previously available as a preprint) on pancreatic islet cell quantitation is now published in Scientific Reports! The source code of SAM (semi-automated measurement tool) along with all documentation has been deposited…
by Lucas Unger Yang et al. demonstrate that HHEX is a lineage-restricting transcription factor essential for pancreas specification from foregut progenitors. Through CRISPR-Cas9 loss-of-function screening combined with hiPSC differentiation and single-cell multiomics, the study reveals that deletion of HHEX diverts…
by Lucas Unger This study explores the development of a potential universal antivenom by combining monoclonal antibodies with a small-molecule inhibitor. By isolating antibodies from a hyperimmune human donor with extensive venom exposure (Tim Friede, who injected himself over 800…
After many months of persuasion, Lucas published his semi-automated quantification tool that he developed over 3 years of quantification of thousands of sc-islets and pancreatic sections. His tool is now available both in GitHUB and as a manuscript (currently as…