Identifying the 'dimmer switch' of diabetes

(University of Alberta Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry) In a landmark study, University of Alberta researchers examined pancreatic islet cells from 99 human organ donors and identified a new molecular pathway that manages the amount of insulin produced by the pancreatic cells -- essentially a 'dimmer' switch that adjusts how much or how little insulin is secreted when blood sugar increases. According to the researchers, the dimmer appears to be lost in type 2 diabetes but can be restored and 'tu...