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的中心主题。除了由自身免疫性破坏胰腺β细胞引起的相当罕见的胰岛素缺乏之外，遗传性和获得性的胰岛素作用异常也是更常见的2型糖尿病、肥胖和胰岛素抵抗的基础。后者容易罹患高血压、阿尔茨海默病和癌症等疾病。因此，了解胰岛素受体信号传导的生化和细胞特性可以说是生物医学研究的首要任务。在过去的十年中，重大进展导致了葡萄糖转运、脂质合成、储存和动员机制的阐明。除了胰岛素对信号激酶和代谢酶的直接影响外，胰岛素调节基因转录机制的发现导致了对胰岛素作用一般原理的重新评估。这些进展将加速糖尿病新治疗方式的发现。