Preimplantation factor (PIF) links embryo-derived signaling to maternal pancreatic β-cell adaptation through an ERα-dependent pathway
Raquel Pascua‐Maestro, Ana María Sartorius-Yáñez, Silvia Hernández de la Red, Talía Boronat‐Belda, Marycarmen Arévalo‐Martínez, Marta Martín-Martín, Míriam Royo, Marta López‐Corrales, Nuria Pascual, M.‐Pilar Marco, Miguel Daniel-Mozo, Christophe Broca, Germán Perdomo, Irene Cózar‐Castellano, Paloma Alonso‐Magdalena, Beatriz Merino
This study identifies PIF as an embryo-derived signal that regulates maternal β-cell adaptation during pregnancy, showing its role in β-cell proliferation and insulin secretion through an ERα-dependent pathway.
bioRxiv · Sep 15, 2026 · PreprintPhysiology