Primary Cilia in Islet Biology
Primary cilia are evolutionarily conserved organelles that serve as signaling hubs in health and disease. In the Hughes lab, we study cilia functions within the pancreatic islet, a tissue central to glucose and metabolic control.
Live-cell and high-resolution microscopy of islet cilia
New structural paradigm of primary cilia and functional implications
Paracrine hormone actions via pancreatic islet cilia
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Ciliary glucose sensing and metabolic crosstalk with mitochondria
Our lab investigates how primary cilia integrate metabolic and GPCR signaling to control islet hormone secretion. We combine live-cell imaging, genetic models, and multi-omics to uncover how ciliary composition, dynamics, and bioenergetics shape glucose and nutrient sensing in health and diabetes.
Contact Us
Reach out to our islet biology lab for inquiries about cilia and islet cell research.
Connect
2037372939
Inquire
jing.hughes@yale.edu