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New pathway gives insight for managing insulin production
Researchers have identified a molecular pathway responsible for managing the amount of insulin produced by pancreatic cells, according to recent study findings published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.
The new pathway is described as a “dimmer switch” that can adjust the amount of insulin that is secreted as blood sugar increases.
“Understanding the islet cells in the pancreas that make insulin, how they work — and how they can fail — could lead to new ways to treat the disease, delaying or even preventing diabetes,” Patrick E. MacDonald, PhD, associate professor at the University of Alberta and a member of the Alberta Diabetes Institute, said in a press release.
Proper control of insulin secretion can be revived by “turning on” the switch, which seems to be damaged in type 2 diabetes, according to MacDonald.
Although MacDonald believe these findings are promising, he added that it may still take decades to translate these findings into clinical use.
“We don’t know enough to stop type 2 diabetes yet, but this is a large step towards understanding what’s going wrong in the first place,” MacDonald said.
Disclosure: MacDonald reports no relevant financial disclosure. Please see the full study for a list of all other authors’ relevant financial disclosures.