"Cell Metabolism" A New Way to Regulate Blood Sugar Levels Independently of Insulin

New molecular approach to control blood sugar and avoid insulin resistance

The discovery of insulin 100 years ago opened the door to life and hope for millions of diabetic patients

This study, published in the journal Cell Metabolism on January 4, 2022, shows that a hormone called FGF1 regulates blood sugar by inhibiting lipolysis (lipolysis)

"Finding a second hormone that inhibits lipolysis and lowers blood sugar is a scientific breakthrough," said co-senior author, Professor Ronald Evans, chair of Dimes in the field of molecular and developmental biology

When we eat, energy-rich fat and glucose enter the bloodstream

Previously, the laboratory showed that injection of FGF1 can significantly reduce blood sugar in mice, and chronic FGF1 treatment can alleviate insulin resistance

In the current work, the research team investigated the mechanisms behind these phenomena and the connections between them

It is already known that insulin inhibits lipolysis through PDE3B, which is an enzyme that initiates a signaling pathway, so the research team tested a series of similar enzymes, and PDE3B is their first choice

Gencer Sancar, a postdoctoral researcher in the Evans laboratory, said: "This mechanism is basically the second loop, with all the advantages of parallel pathways

The discovery of the PDE4 pathway opens up new opportunities for drug discovery and basic research focusing on hyperglycemia and insulin resistance

"FGF1's unique ability to induce continuous hypoglycemia in insulin-resistant diabetic mice is a promising treatment