THE QUR’AN ON THE MOLECULAR SWITCHES THAT TURN ON PANCREATIC REGENERATION

The Quran provides a distinct sequence by which an embryo forms, and it also suggests the possibility of whole organism or specific organ renewal along the lines of the initial formation. In particular, the Quran mentions an “izama,” or substrate, that is necessary to allow for the completion of the process of embryogenesis. Based on the principle that regeneration of organs is possible, but along an identifiable pathway that requires key “izamas,” we hypothesized that, in the context of pancreatic regeneration after injury, there were key molecular switches that turned on, or reprogrammed, the organ towards completion of regeneration. We examined the role of the epigenetic proteins the histone deacetylases (HDACs) as a key switch and found that they indeed were necessary for turning on the processes that allowed the final maturation of the regenerating pancreas. We hope that this insight from the Holy Quran will be beneficial in providing principles for a pathway through epigenetic reprogramming to enhance organ regeneration after injury and will thus treat organ-based disorders.