Islet-cell biology in 2015: Understanding secretion, ageing and death in β cells

The pancreatic islets of Langerhans have been intensively investigated for many years, largely because of their central role in the pathogenesis of type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Notable advances in 2015 related to glucose-stimulated insulin secretion in β cells, β-cell death and the role of epigenetics in β-cell heterogeneity.