Vitamin D can help treat damaged beta cells in pancreas that produce, store and release the hormone insulin, paving they way for a new approach to treat diabetes, scientists say. When beta cells become dysfunctional, the body cannot make insulin to control blood sugar and levels of glucose can rise to dangerous levels. Researchers from Salk Institute in the US accomplished their goal by using an unexpected source: vitamin D. Vitamin D in cells and mouse models proved beneficial in treating damaged beta cells. It also provided new insights about gene regulation that could be applied to developing treatments for other diseases, including cancer.