Pancreatic and duodenal homeobox protein 1 (Pdx1) is a transcription factor that promotes differentiation of pancreatic progenitor cells164 and pancreatic regeneration165,166 and regulates β cells function, proliferation and survival,164,167 as well as β-cell-related gene transcription.168 As Pdx1 regulates insulin secretion and glucose metabolism, mutations of Pdx1 or its loss can cause diabetes. This evidence concerns the gene PDX1 and diabetes mellitus.