title: Current and future treatment strategies for type 2 diabetes: the beta-cell as a therapeutic target.
abstract: Diabetes affects millions of people worldwide. The most common variants are type 1 diabetes with autoimmune destruction of the pancreatic beta-cells and type 2 diabetes with peripheral insulin resistance and beta-cell dysfunction. In spite of tremendous research, current pharmacological regimens are still sub-optimal for adequate blood glucose control. As a consequence, patients with diabetes are at significant risk for development of serious long-term complications, such as blindness and kidney disease. This review will discuss present and future strategies for the treatment of type 2 diabetes with a focus on the more recently recognized problems of beta-cell dysfunction and loss. The treatment strategies presented include promotion of beta-cell proliferation and differentiation by glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists.
authors.affiliation: UCSD Cancer Center, La Jolla, CA 92037-0912, USA. btyrberg@ucsd.edu
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Tyrberg
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Levine
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems / Q000379:methods* / Q000639:trends; D005544:Forecasting; D006801:Humans; D007515:Islets of Langerhans / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D013453:Sulfonylurea Compounds / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D013453:Sulfonylurea Compounds