K cells: a novel target for insulin gene therapy for the prevention of diabetes.
Recently, gut K cells have been shown to express glucokinase, the glucose sensor of pancreatic beta cells, and transgenic mice expressing human insulin under the control of a K cell-specific promoter are resistant to diabetes development induced by the beta-cell toxin streptozotocin. These novel findings suggest that gut K cells might be a suitable target for gene therapeutic treatment of type 1 diabetes mellitus.
Corbett
J A
JA
The Edward A. Doisy Dept of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, St Louis University School of Medicine, 1402 South Grand Blvd, St Louis, MO 63104, USA. corbettj@slu.edu
D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004064:Digestive System / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D015316:Genetic Therapy; D005941:Glucokinase / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000235:genetics*
D001786:Blood Glucose; D007328:Insulin; D005941:Glucokinase