Therapeutic manipulation of the insulin receptor kinase - a review

Understanding the detailed mechanisms mediating insulin signal transduction has been viewed as a critical step in the development of therapeutic applications to ameliorate diabetes and its attendant complications. One critical element in the insulin-signalling pathway is the insulin receptor. The insulin receptor is a heterotetrameric transmembrane protein that binds insulin on the surface of cells and transduces insulin signals through the plasma membrane to the cytoplasm. With the cloning of the gene for the insulin receptor it became possible to efficiently manipulate the receptor and identify sequences that are crucial to its function. In turn, these analyses have uncovered potential therapeutic approaches to enhance receptor function. The patents covered by this review date from 1988 to 1999.

理解介导胰岛素信号转导的详细机制被视为开发治疗应用以改善糖尿病及其伴随并发症的关键步骤。胰岛素信号通路中的一个关键要素是胰岛素受体。胰岛素受体是一种异源四聚体跨膜蛋白，它在细胞表面结合胰岛素，并将胰岛素信号通过质膜转导至细胞质。随着胰岛素受体基因的克隆，有效操纵该受体并确定对其功能至关重要的序列成为可能。反过来，这些分析揭示了增强受体功能的潜在治疗方法。本综述所涵盖的专利日期从1988年到1999年。