Endothelial insulin resistance induced by adrenomedullin mediates obesity-associated diabetes

Type 2 diabetes is a significant risk factor for the development of pancreatic cancer, while obesity is a well-established risk factor for type 2 diabetes. However, the molecular mechanisms linking these two conditions has remained obscure until now. 

This manuscript by Cho et al, in which the group of Alfredo Martínez Ramírez has participated, has been recently published in Science. In this intensive work, the authors demonstrate that adipocytes (more abundant in obese people) secrete the regulatory peptide, adrenomedullin, which binds to its receptor in endothelial cells resulting in the activation of phosphatase PTP1B and in the blockade on the insulin receptor in these cells. This endothelial insulin resistance is a rather new concept and has important consequences in blood flow regulation. In addition, the authors have shown that using an adrenomedullin inhibitor is able to prevent insulin resistance even in obese mice, opening a door for pharmaceutical treatments to prevent type 2 diabetes initiation in overweight people.

Read the full article here: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adr4731

More about the group of Alfredo Martínez Ramírez: https://alipanc.org/grupo/grupo-de-angiogenesis-alfredo-martinez-ramirez/