PI3K-C2α Knockdown Results in Rerouting of Insulin Signaling and Pancreatic Beta Cell Proliferation.
Insulin resistance is a syndrome that affects multiple insulin target tissues, each having different biological functions regulated by insulin. A remaining question is how an insulin target cell/tissue can be insulin resistant in one biological function and insulin sensitive in another at the same time.
The study presented here, provide evidence that reduced PI3K-C2a expression in pancreatic beta cells results in rerouting from metabolic to mitogenic insulin signaling, allowing the beta cell to switch from a highly glucose-responsive, differentiated state to a proliferative state. Hence, factors involved in the rerouting of the insulin signal represent tentative therapeutic targets in the treatment of insulin resistance.