The Islets of Langerhans of the pancreas are critical for glucose homeostasis but fail in diabetes, accompanied by autoimmune destruction of beta-cells in type 1 diabetes (T1D) and increased insulin demand and beta cell exhaustion in type 2 diabetes (T2D). During the last decade, there have been major advances not only in the molecular understanding of beta-cell stress, unfolded protein response, dedifferentiation, aging and beta cell failure, but also in understanding counteracting mechanisms, such as beta-cell maturation, compensation, redifferentiation, autophagy and recovery. This Keystone Symposia conference on Islet Biology and Diabetes: Beta Cell Compensation, Failure and Recovery will address unresolved gaps in how these mechanisms intersect and how to translate fundamental insights across these areas into approaches and therapies to reverse diabetes. In parallel, this meeting will address how we can combine primary islets, differentiated stem cells or regenerative mechanisms with immune-evasive strategies for beta-cell replacement in T1D. The meeting will also focus on niches that enable beta cells to develop, mature and function such as the role of inter-organ crosstalk in regulating insulin secretion and diabetic progression in adults, especially in the context of islet and gut-brain connections. By combining new technical and therapeutic insights from the field, as well as perspectives from emerging clinical data, the conference program will encourage interdisciplinary collaborations for the purpose of accelerating diabetes research. This conference will also be held jointly with the Keystone Symposia Gut-Brain Axis conference, and will focus on the intersections between neuroscience and metabolic disease, especially in the context of new drugs that are revolutionizing the treatment of diabetes and obesity. Through shared keynote and joint scientific sessions, meals and poster sessions, participants will have an opportunity to network and share cross-disciplinary insights, encouraging innovative collaborations towards identifying novel therapeutic targets. 

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