Pancreatic Deletion of Mitogen-inducible Gene 6 Promotes Beta Cell Proliferation Following Destruction

Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) is caused by autoimmune-mediated beta cell destruction. Following beta cell injury, the pancreas attempts to launch a cellular repair and regenerative program, yet it fails to completely restore functional beta cell mass. One component of this regenerative program is epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signaling. However, upon irreparable beta cell damage, EGFR signaling is dampened, disrupting attempts to restore functional beta cell mass and maintain normoglycemia. We previously demonstrated that the negative feedback inhibitor of EGFR, Mitogen-inducible gene 6 (Mig6), is induced by the pro-inflammatory cytokines central to the autoimmune-mediated beta cell destruction. We also established that pro-inflammatory cytokines suppress EGFR activation, and siRNA-mediated suppression of Mig6 restores EGFR signaling. Thus, we hypothesized that pro-inflammatory cytokines induce nitric oxide production and that in turn induced Mig6, disrupting EGFR repair mechanisms. We determined that NO induces Mig6, attenuating EGFR signaling, and NO synthase inhibition blocks the cytokine-mediated induction of Mig6, thereby restoring cytokine-impaired EGFR signaling. To that end, we treated mice lacking pancreatic Mig6 and control mice with a streptozotocin (STZ) to induce beta cell death and diabetes in a way that mimics the onset and progression of T1D. Whereas STZ-treated control mice became hyperglycemic and had reduced beta cell mass, STZ-treated Mig6 pancreas-specific knock out (PKO) mice remained euglycemic and glucose tolerant due to preserved beta cell mass. The restoration of beta cell mass in PKO mice was accompanied by enhanced beta cell proliferation. Thus, our work suggests that Mig6 is a promising target to preserve beta cell mass before overt T1D.