Summary
Scientists Uncover Enzyme Hindering Body’s Insulin Production, Opening Doors to Potential Diabetes Treatment Breakthrough. Investigating Nitric Oxide Reveals its Mysteries in Blood Vessel Dilation, Memory Enhancement, Infection Defense, and Hormone Release.
About the Research
Breakthrough Diabetes Research: Case Western Reserve University and University Hospitals Scientists Uncover Insulin-Blocking Enzyme, Pointing to Promising Treatment Targets. Deciphering Nitric Oxide’s Role in Blood Vessel Dilation, Memory Enhancement, Infection Defense, and Hormone Release Reveals Long-standing Mystery.
Scientists Unearth a New Enzyme, SCAN, Acting as a ‘Carrier’ by Attaching Nitric Oxide to Proteins, Including Insulin Receptor. Crucial for Regular Insulin Function, Elevated SCAN Levels Identified in Diabetes Patients and Diabetic Mice. Mouse Models Minus SCAN Show Resistance to Diabetes, Indicating Excessive Nitric Oxide on Proteins as a Potential Disease Trigger.
Lead Researcher Jonathan Stamler Highlights the Protective Effect of Blocking the Identified Enzyme Against Diabetes and Suggests Broad Implications for Diseases Linked to Nitric Oxide-Adding Enzymes. Prospects of a New Treatment Surface as the Team Contemplates Medications Targeting the Enzyme. Collaborators Include Hualin Zhou, Richard Premont, Zack Grimmett, and Nicholas Venetos from Case Western Reserve School of Medicine and University Hospitals.
Connection Found: Nitric oxide overbinding to crucial proteins is linked to various diseases like Alzheimer’s, cancer, heart failure, and diabetes. The focus shifts to enzymes responsible for nitric oxide attachment following this revelation. In diabetes, the body’s normal response to insulin diminishes, leading to elevated blood sugar levels and potential health complications over time. Diabetes patients are at a higher risk of heart disease, vision loss, and kidney disease, though the exact reason for insulin resistance remains unclear.
The involvement of excessive nitric oxide in numerous diseases is established, yet addressing it remains challenging due to the molecule’s reactivity, making specific targeting difficult, as explained by Stamler.
In revealing the role of specialized enzymes in mediating the diverse effects of nitric oxide, the study highlights an enzyme that regulates insulin by placing nitric oxide on the insulin receptor. Excessive enzyme activity is linked to diabetes. The findings suggest a broader perspective, indicating that numerous enzymes may influence various proteins with nitric oxide, offering potential new treatments for a range of diseases.
Journal link:-https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0092867423012266?via%3Dihub