title: Pancreatic regulation of glucose homeostasis.
abstract: In order to ensure normal body function, the human body is dependent on a tight control of its blood glucose levels. This is accomplished by a highly sophisticated network of various hormones and neuropeptides released mainly from the brain, pancreas, liver, intestine as well as adipose and muscle tissue. Within this network, the pancreas represents a key player by secreting the blood sugar-lowering hormone insulin and its opponent glucagon. However, disturbances in the interplay of the hormones and peptides involved may lead to metabolic disorders such as type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) whose prevalence, comorbidities and medical costs take on a dramatic scale. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to uncover and understand the mechanisms underlying the various interactions to improve existing anti-diabetic therapies and drugs on the one hand and to develop new therapeutic approaches on the other. This review summarizes the interplay of the pancreas with various other organs and tissues that maintain glucose homeostasis. Furthermore, anti-diabetic drugs and their impact on signaling pathways underlying the network will be discussed.
authors.affiliation: Metabolism in Human Diseases Unit, Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, Singapore.
authors.forename: Pia V
authors.initials: PV
authors.lastname: Röder
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Metabolic Medicine, Singapore Bioimaging Consortium, A*STAR, Singapore, Singapore.
authors.forename: Bingbing
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Metabolic Medicine, Singapore Bioimaging Consortium, A*STAR, Singapore, Singapore.
authors.forename: Yixian
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Metabolism in Human Diseases Unit, Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, Singapore.|Laboratory of Metabolic Medicine, Singapore Bioimaging Consortium, A*STAR, Singapore, Singapore.
authors.forename: Weiping
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Han
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002450:Cell Communication; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism*; D006706:Homeostasis / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000378:metabolism; D007515:Islets of Langerhans / Q000378:metabolism; D010179:Pancreas / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D046790:Pancreas, Exocrine / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction
chemical_list: D007328:Insulin; D005947:Glucose