title: Role of islet β cell autophagy in the pathogenesis of diabetes.
abstract: While the role of autophagy in the physiology of endocrine organs and the development of metabolic disorders or diabetes has been investigated, the relationship between the pancreatic islet and autophagy has not been explored extensively. In this review, studies on the possible involvement of dysregulated autophagy in the pathogenesis of metabolic syndrome and diabetes will be summarized with an emphasis on the autophagic process in pancreatic islet β cells. Novel findings regarding the role of autophagy in human β cell pathology and the development of type 2 diabetes (T2D) characterized by islet amyloid deposition will be discussed. Careful design of agents enhancing autophagic activity in β cells might serve as a novel approach towards therapeutics for the treatment of diabetes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul 135-710, Korea. Electronic address: mslee0923@skku.edu.
authors.forename: Myung-Shik
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D001343:Autophagy / Q000502:physiology*; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D059865:Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D050417:Insulin-Secreting Cells / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D058228:Islet Amyloid Polypeptide / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D058228:Islet Amyloid Polypeptide
keywords: ER stress; autophagy; islet amyloid; obesity; β cell