Betatrophin: A liver-derived hormone for the pancreatic β-cell proliferation

Core Tip

Core tip: Yi et al have characterized a secreted protein named betatrophin that potently regulates β-cell proliferation. Evidently, betatrophin is identical to re-feeding-induced fat and liver protein, lipasin and atypical angiopoeitin-like 8, all of which were characterized as regulators of lipid homeostasis, by three independent groups of investigators. Yi et al were the first to demonstrate that hepatic expression of betatrophin in mice caused a dramatic surge in proliferation of the pancreatic β-cells with a concomitant improvement of their glucose tolerance. The discovery of a circulating hormone that specifically targets β-cell proliferation is a promising development towards a better clinical management of diabetes.