High-resolution model of six insulin molecules assembled in a hexamer. Credit: Isaac Yonemoto/Wikipedia
NZ researchers have uncovered a new mechanism that controls the release of insulin in the body, providing hope for those with a genetic susceptibility to type 2 diabetes. The findings show for the first time that a protein, beta catenin is crucial for controlling the release of insulin from the pancreas to maintain stable blood sugar levels. They focused on a variant in a gene called TCF7L2. This variant has been known to science for about 10 years and is the biggest contributing factor for whether people are genetically susceptible to getting type 2 diabetes or not.
“We wanted to understand what happens in the body’s cells that are associated with TCF7L2 and how the processes that go on...
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