The cells in your pancreas, like people, can only handle so much stress before they start to break down. Certain stressors, such as inflammation and high blood sugar, contribute to the development of type 2 diabetes by overwhelming these cells. Researchers at The Jackson Laboratory (JAX) have now discovered that DNA sequence changes known to increase a person's risk for diabetes are linked to how well pancreatic cells can handle two different kinds of molecular stress.
In people with these DNA changes, the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas may be more likely to fail or die when exposed to stress and inflammation. "Ultimately we want to develop new ways to prevent and treat type 2 diabetes by targeting the genes and pathways that are perturbed in people who are most susceptible to the disease," said Michael L. Stitzel, associate professor at JAX and co-senior author of the new study with JAX professor Dugyu Ucar, published in the Oct.
8 advanced online issue of Cell Metabolism . "These findings give us new insight into some of those genes and pathways." The work points toward dozens of genes that connect cell stress and diabetes risk, including one that is already under investigation as a drug target for type 2 diabetes complications.
Cells under stress When living cells face challenges, including damage, inflammation, or nutrient changes, they activate protective responses to try to cope with and reverse the stress. But over time, sustained stress can overwhelm the cell.
