Insulin research points way to better diabetes treatments
Posted on 26 January 2010
The study could have major implications for the development of treatments for Type I diabetes.By developing and analysing a range of super active insulins, scientists from the York Structural Biology Laboratory have been able to identify common features that point to the likely molecular structure of human insulin when it is active in the body.
[This research] holds the key to developing far more sophisticated treatments for Type I diabetes and this research represents an important step forward
Dr Marek Brzozowski
The research also offers new insight into how insulin binds to insulin receptors on cells.
The research was conducted with colleagues at the Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, and is published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Dr Marek Brzozowski, from the York Structural Biology Laboratory, said: “The structures of inactive forms of insulin and the insulin receptor are reasonably well known, but documenting how they interact has proven to be a considerable scientific challenge.
“Improving our understanding of this interaction holds the key to developing far more sophisticated treatments for Type I diabetes and this research represents an important step forward.”
The research could help the development of insulin treatments that can be more carefully controlled or that could be delivered without the need for injections.
Notes to editors:
- The paper ‘Implications for the active form of human insulin based on the structural convergence of highly active hormone analogues’ can be found in full at www.pnas.org.
- The York Structural Biology Laboratory (YSBL) uses and develops methods to determine, analyse and exploit the structure of proteins and their complexes with other molecules. The research provides insights into biological function and finds application in drug discovery and the exploitation of enzymes as biocatalysts.
- The York Structural Biology Laboratory is part of the Department of Chemistry and works closely with the Department of Biology. Both Departments were ranked in the top ten in their relevant subject areas in the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise.
- More information about the Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic can be found at www.uochb.cz/.
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