Publications

Selected papers and discoveries

Work spanning beta-cell protection, adaptive proliferation, genetic screening, and the developmental mechanisms that shape organ function.

Research articles

Primary research

2026

Loss-of-function of ALDH3B2 transdifferentiates human pancreatic duct cells into beta-like cells.

Li J, Bode K, Lee YC, Morrow N, Ma A, Wei S, da Silva Pereira J, Stewart T, Lee-Papastavros A, Hollister-Lock J, Sullivan B, Bonner-Weir S, Yi P.

Accepted for publication, 2026.

Science Translational MedicineView preprint
2025

Genome-wide CRISPR screen identifies Sec31A as a key regulator of alpha cell survival.

Shibue K, Kahraman S, Castillo-Quan JI, De Jesus DF, Hu J, Morita H, Blackwell TK, Yi P, Kulkarni RN.

Nature Communications. 2025;16(1):9159. PMID: 41093834.

Nature CommunicationsView paper
2025

Renalase inhibition defends against acute and chronic β-cell stress by regulating cell metabolism.

MacDonald TL, Ryback B, Aparecida da Silva Pereira J, Wei S, Mendez B, Cai EP, Ishikawa Y, Arbeau M, Weir G, Bonner-Weir S, Kissler S, Yi P.

Molecular Metabolism. 2025;95:102115. PMID: 39988068.

Molecular MetabolismView paper
2024

Beta-cells deficient for Renalase counteract autoimmunity by shaping Natural Killer cell activity.

Bode K, Wei S, Gruber I, Kissler S, Yi P.

Frontiers in Immunology. 2024;15:1403752. PMID: 38975343.

Frontiers in ImmunologyView paper
2023

A CRISPR screen identifies the E3 ubiquitin ligase Rfwd2 as a negative regulator of glucose uptake in brown adipocytes.

Lynes MD, Huang Q, Cora C, Su SC, Yi P, Tseng YH.

Genes. 2023;14(10):1865. PMID: 37895214.

GenesView paper
2023

Protective Renalase deficiency in beta cells shapes immune metabolism and function in autoimmune diabetes.

Bode K, MacDonald T, Stewart T, Mendez B, Cai EP, Morrow N, Lee YC, Yi P, Kissler S.

Diabetes. 2023;db23-0030. PMID: 37216639.

DiabetesView paper
2023

Protocol for genome-scale in vivo CRISPR screening to study protection of beta cells under autoimmunity in a type 1 diabetes mouse model.

Li J, Lee YC, Iessi IL, Wu C, Yi P, Cai EP.

STAR Protocols. 2023;4(2):102155. PMID: 36917606.

STAR ProtocolsView paper
2022

Bioluminescent monitoring of graft survival in an adoptive transfer model of autoimmune diabetes in mice.

Stewart T, Bode K, Kissler S, Yi P.

Journal of Visualized Experiments. 2022;(189). PMID: 36468712.

Journal of Visualized ExperimentsView paper
2022

E2F1 transcription factor mediates a link between fat and islets to promote β-cell proliferation in response to acute insulin resistance.

Shirakawa J, Togashi Y, Basile G, Okuyama T, Inoue R, Fernandez M, Kyohara M, De Jesus DF, Goto N, Zhang W, Tsuno T, Kin T, Pan H, Dreyfuss JM, Shapiro AMJ, Yi P, Terauchi Y, Kulkarni RN.

Cell Reports. 2022;41(1):111436. PMID: 36198264.

Cell ReportsView paper
2020

Genome-scale in vivo CRISPR screen identifies RNLS as a target for beta-cell protection in type 1 diabetes.

Cai EP**, Ishikawa Y, Zhang W, Leite NC, Li J, Hou S, Kiaf B, Hollister-Lock J, Yilmaz NK, Schiffer CA, Melton DA, Kissler S*, Yi P*.

Nature Metabolism. 2020;2(9):934–945. PMID: 32719542.

Nature MetabolismView paper
2017

Insulin signaling regulates the FoxM1/PLK1/CENP-A pathway to promote adaptive pancreatic beta-cell proliferation.

Shirakawa J, Fernandez M, Takatani T, El Ouaamari A, Jungtrakoon P, Okawa ER, Zhang W, Yi P, Doria A, Kulkarni RN.

Cell Metabolism. 2017;25(4):868–882.e5. PMID: 28286049.

Cell MetabolismView paper

Reviews and perspectives

Other peer-reviewed scholarship

2025

Advances in cell replacement therapies for diabetes.

Hering BJ, Rickels MR, Bellin MD, Millman JR, Tomei AA, García AJ, Shirwan H, Stabler CL, Ma M, Yi P, Luo X, Tang Q, Ramachandran S, Oberholzer J, Ricordi C, Kieffer TJ, Shapiro AMJ.

Diabetes. 2025;74(7):1068–1077. PMID: 40272266.

DiabetesView paper
2023

β-cell stress and endocrine function during T1D: What is next to discover?

Vived C, Lee-Papastavros A, Aparecida da Silva Pereira J, Yi P, MacDonald TL.

Endocrinology. 2023;165(1):bqad162. PMID: 37947352.

EndocrinologyView paper
2021

Applying CRISPR screen in diabetes research.

Yi P, Morrow N.

Diabetes. 2021;70(9):1962–1969. PMID: 34162685.

DiabetesView paper