| Summary: | Diabetes: Restoring insulin sensitivity Researchers have identified a protein, XBP1s, that may help treat type II diabetes by re-sensitizing cells to insulin. Insulin controls blood sugar levels by triggering cells to absorb sugar from the blood. In obese individuals, cells can lose sensitivity to insulin, requiring increasing quantities to trigger sugar uptake, disrupting blood sugar regulation. Termed insulin resistance, this is a major risk factor for type II diabetes and other diseases. XBP1s was previously known to affect insulin sensitivity, but the mechanism was unclear. Oh-Joo Kwon and co-workers at The Catholic University of Korea in Seoul investigated how XBP1s affected the response of mouse fat cells to insulin. They found that XBP1s restored insulin sensitivity, turning insulin-resistant cells into cells that responded to insulin by absorbing sugar. XBP1s may be useful in treatment or prevention of type II diabetes.
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