A bird's eye view of the dynamics of pancreatic β-cell heterogeneity

In most people, the pancreas timely and adequately satisfies insulin requirements and maintains normal glucose concentrations. Despite 100 years since insulin's discovery, we still do not fully understand how human islet β-cells function well, over a lifetime in most individuals. Multiple studies have indicated extensive heterogeneity in pancreatic cells, including in β-cells, at molecular, morphological and functional levels (reviewed in Ref.1,2). Here, we discuss if answers to β-cell function over a lifetime lie in this inherent heterogeneity.