The gastrointestinal epithelium has a high regenerative capacity. In a new study, native antral stomach cells have been converted into insulin-positive functional pancreatic β-like cells that can potentially be used for glycaemic control to treat diabete mellitus. These induced insulin-positive β-like cells reverse hypoglycaemia after transplantation in a mouse model of diabetes. Moreover, these reprogrammed gastric cells can be loaded onto a bioscaffold and bioengineered into mini organs that can also control blood glucose levels in diabetic mice.