Table 1.

ECM Components and ECM-Associated Growth Factors and Proteins Involved in β-Cell Proliferation and Survival

	Functions	References
ECM components
Collagen	Promotes survival in β-cell lines and primary islets, both with or without encapsulation	(17–23)
Laminin	Promotes proliferation in primary human islets and β-cell lines; increases survival of primary mouse islets and β-cell lines	(19, 24, 25)
Fibronectin	Increases proliferation in rat islets; increases viability and decreases apoptosis in MIN6 β-cell line	(19, 21)
Heparan sulfate proteoglycans	Loss decreases β-cell proliferation and increases β-cell apoptosis; protects β-cells from reactive oxygen species-induced apoptosis	(26, 27)
Matricellular proteins and growth factors
CCN2	Overexpression during embryogenesis induces β-cell proliferation; promotes β-cell proliferation of mouse islets ex vivo and in vivo after β-cell injury; loss disrupts compensatory β-cell mass increase during pregnancy	(28, 29)
FGF	Loss decreases β-cell number; protects against β-cell death during lipo- and glucotoxicity	(30, 31)
VEGF	Loss decreases β-cell proliferation; overexpression using the Pdx1 promoter increases β-cell proliferation and survival; overexpression using the RIP leads to β-cell loss	(10, 32–35)
HGF	Inactivation during embryogenesis results in decreased pancreatic insulin content; inactivation during pregnancy reduces maternal β-cell compensation and increases β-cell apoptosis; treatment increases β-cell survival after toxin exposure; inactivation decreases β-cell regeneration after injury	(36–38)

Abbreviations: MIN6, mouse insulin-secreting cell line; RIP, rat insulin promoter.