NEWS

• A study by the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) highlights new mechanisms in glucose uptake that could offer therapeutic implications for diabetes management.
• The research draws parallels between traffic management systems and how the body regulates glucose levels after meals.
• Pancreatic beta cells absorb glucose and trigger insulin release with the help of glucose transporters (GLUTs).

HIGHLIGHTS

Type-2 Diabetes Context

• In healthy individuals, GLUTs rapidly move to the beta cell surface in response to rising glucose, facilitating efficient insulin release.
• In Type-2 diabetes, this mechanism falters, leading to impaired glucose uptake and insulin dysfunction.
• Species difference: Humans primarily use GLUT1, while mice rely on GLUT2 for glucose entry.

Research Approach

• The IISc team, led by Dr. Nikhil Gandasi, employed advanced live-cell imaging to track GLUT1 and GLUT2 movement under varying glucose levels.
• They discovered that in healthy cells, GLUTs are cycled in and out via clathrin-mediated endocytosis.
• Unlike earlier studies that focused on post-entry glucose metabolism, this work emphasizes the pre-entry step – the disruption of glucose entry itself.

Therapeutic Implications

• Restoring proper GLUT function could become a new therapeutic target for Type-2 diabetes.
• Potential strategies may include drugs or genetic interventions that enhance GLUT recruitment to beta cell membranes.
• This could improve early glucose sensing and insulin release, tackling diabetes at its root cause rather than only managing symptoms.