Researchers at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research in Melbourne, Australia have discovered new complex ways where insulin utilizes the insulin receptors to connect to the surface of the cells, which is essential for the cells to consume sugar from the blood as energy, according to Medical Xpress.
The team of researchers included Associate Professor Mike Lawrence, Mai Margetts, Dr. Geoffrey Kong and Dr. John Menting from the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research have studied the function of insulin's interaction with its receptor which can help them develop more advanced treatment of diabetes.
"Understanding how insulin interacts with the insulin receptor is fundamental to the development of novel insulins for the treatment of diabetes," Associate Professor Lawrence said, according to a report by Medical Xpress. "Until now we have not been able to see how these molecules interact with cells. We can now exploit this knowledge to design new insulin medications with improved properties, which is very exciting."
Associate Professor Lawrence credited Australian Synchrotron for the success of their project.
"If we did not have this fantastic facility in Australia and their staff available to help us, we would simply not have been able to complete this project," he said.
Associate Professor Lawrence highlighted the importance of additional help from several researchers to pull off such a difficult project using their experience, resources and expertise in the field. The research included an international team of researchers from Case Western Reserve University, the University of Chicago, the University of York and the Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry in Prague.
"We have now found that the insulin hormone engages its receptor in a very unusual way," associate professor Lawrence said. "Both insulin and its receptor undergo rearrangement as they interact - a piece of insulin folds out and key pieces within the receptor move to engage the insulin hormone. You might call it a 'molecular handshake'."
He further explained that the insulin controls the function of glucose consumption in the body.
"The insulin receptor is a large protein on the surface of cells to which the hormone insulin binds," he said. "The generation of new types of insulin have been limited by our inability to see how insulin docks into its receptor in the body."
"Insulin is a key treatment for diabetics, but there are many ways that its properties could potentially be improved," associate professor Lawrence said. "This discovery could conceivably lead to new types of insulin that could be given in ways other than injection, or an insulin that has improved properties or longer activity so that it doesn't need to be taken as often. It may also have ramifications for diabetes treatment in developing nations, by creating insulin that is more stable and less likely to degrade when not kept cold, an angle being pursued by our collaborators. Our findings are a new platform for developing these kinds of medications."
The findings of this study are published in an online journal Nature.
