Jon Odorico
Position title: Professor, Surgery
Email: jon@surgery.wisc.edu
Phone: Stem cells; Pancreatic islet development
Address:
Education
B.S. 1983 Duke University, Durham, NC
M.D. 1987 New York University, New York, NY
NIH Biosketch
PubMed Publications
Departmental Website
Research Focus
Our laboratory is interested in using embryonic stem (ES) cells to study pancreatic islet development. Despite advances in our understanding of islet ontogeny, there are still significant gaps in our knowledge. Specifically, we do not yet understand precisely how insulin secreting beta cells and other endocrine cell types within mammalian pancreatic Islets of Langerhans are specified from embryonic foregut endoderm, or what complement of transcription factors direct this fate choice. Furthermore, what is the exact phenotype of islet progenitor cells, and what are the critical epithelial – mesenchymal interactions that guide this developmental process, are important questions that have not been answered. We have recently described the derivation of islet progenitor cells and mature islet cell types expressing insulin, glucagon, somatostatin, and pancreatic polypeptide from murine ES cells induced to differentiate in culture. In this in vitro differentiation system many aspects of normal islet development are reproduced, thus offering a simple, controllable culture model in which to study islet ontogeny.
Program Activities
- Joined ERP Program: 2002
- ERP Program Student Affairs Committee Member
- Former ERP T32 Faculty Trainer
Trainees
No current ERP students
Past ERP students
- Gopika Nair, PhD