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Loss of pancreatic β-cells or their proper function is characteristic of type 1 and type 2 diabetes, so restoring functional β-cell mass has been a major therapeutic goal in the field. A team led by Bridget Wagner at the Ó³»­´«Ã½'s Center for the Science of Therapeutics, working with Ó³»­´«Ã½ associate member Rohit Kulkarni’s lab at Joslin Diabetes Center, showed that this may be achievable in humans. They found that the kinase-inhibiting enzyme 5-IT, which is known to promote β-cell mass in rodents, can also spark β-cell proliferation in humans by inhibiting the protein DYRK1A. The research, published in , suggests a possible regenerative medicine approach to diabetes.