The mechanism of insulin action is a central theme in biology and medicine. In addition to the rather rare condition of insulin deficiency caused by autoimmune destruction of pancreatic β-cells, genetic and acquired abnormalities of insulin action underlie the far more common conditions of type 2 diabetes, obesity and insulin resistance. The latter predisposes to diseases ranging from hypertension to Alzheimer disease and cancer. Hence, understanding the biochemical and cellular properties of insulin receptor signalling is arguably a priority in biomedical research. In the past decade, major progress has led to the delineation of mechanisms of glucose transport, lipid synthesis, storage and mobilization. In addition to direct effects of insulin on signalling kinases and metabolic enzymes, the discovery of mechanisms of insulin-regulated gene transcription has led to a reassessment of the general principles of insulin action. These advances will accelerate the discovery of new treatment modalities for diabetes.

胰岛素作用机制是生物学和医学领域的中心主题。除了因胰岛β细胞自身免疫破坏引起的胰岛素缺乏症这一罕见病外，胰岛素作用的遗传和获得性异常是2型糖尿病，肥胖症和胰岛素抵抗的更为常见的病因。后者易患从高血压到阿尔茨海默氏病和癌症的疾病。因此，理解胰岛素受体信号转导的生化和细胞特性可以说是生物医学研究中的优先事项。在过去的十年中，重大进展导致了对葡萄糖转运，脂质合成，储存和动员机制的描述。除了胰岛素对信号激酶和代谢酶的直接作用外，胰岛素调节基因转录机制的发现导致对胰岛素作用的一般原理的重新评估。这些进展将加速发现糖尿病的新治疗方式。