title: The binary switch that controls the life and death decisions of ER stressed β cells.
abstract: Diabetes mellitus is a group of common metabolic disorders defined by hyperglycemia. One of the most important factors contributing to hyperglycemia is dysfunction and death of β cells. Increasing experimental, clinical, and genetic evidence indicates that endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress plays an important role in β cell dysfunction and death during the progression of type 1 and type 2 diabetes as well as genetic forms of diabetes such as Wolfram syndrome. The mechanisms of ER stress-mediated β cell dysfunction and death are complex and not homogenous. Here we review the recent key findings on the role of ER stress and the unfolded protein response (UPR) in β cells and the mechanisms of ER stress-mediated β cell dysfunction and death. Complete understanding of these mechanisms will lead to novel therapeutic modalities for diabetes.
authors.affiliation: Program in Gene Function and Expression, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA.
authors.forename: Christine M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Oslowski
authors.forename: Fumihiko
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Urano
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000378:metabolism / Q000628:therapy; D004721:Endoplasmic Reticulum / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D050417:Insulin-Secreting Cells / Q000378:metabolism*; D058767:Protein Unfolding; D013312:Stress, Physiological