Figure 1

Mechanisms through which GABA receptor agonists or artemisinins may be used to provoke an α to β cell fate switch to correct the destruction of β cells in T1 DM. Clockwise from top left: β cells (green) are destroyed in T1 DM, leaving α cells (red) largely unaffected. Artemisinins prompt the upregulation of GABAA receptors (orange), favoring the actions of GABA to prompt the conversion of a proportion of α cells to an intermediate phenotype (yellow). Further proliferation and redifferentiation replenishes the depleted β cell pool, restoring normal glycemia.