How does our body control blood sugar so precisely? An international research team led by scientists from the Paul Langerhans Institute Dresden (PLID) of the German Center for Diabetes Research brought us a step closer to the answer. They found a special group of "first responder" cells in the pancreas that are crucial for triggering blood sugar response. Their findings were published in the journal Science Advances.

Our bodies need to keep blood sugar levels just right. Too high or too low can be dangerous. This balance is disturbed in diabetes, leading to serious health issues.

Beta cells in the pancreas manage this balance by releasing insulin when blood sugar levels rise. Understanding how beta cells work and coordinate the response to rising blood sugar can ultimately help develop better treatments for diabetes. Looking at the pancreas, we wondered if all beta cells are actually equally sensitive to sugar.

Previous studies suggested some might be more sensitive than others." Prof. Nikolay Ninov, research group leader at the CRTD in Dresden To understand the work of the pancreas, the Ninov team turned to zebrafish.

This small tropical fish has a pancreas that works similarly to a human one. At the same time, it offers a huge advantage. Researchers can use transparent fish that have no pigment whatsoever and observe the pancreas at work in real-time in the living fish.

The group discovered that a small group of beta cells are more sensitive to sugar levels than the others..