Blocking p75 NTR in diabetes

University of California, San Francisco researchers have shown that genetic deletion of the p75 neurotrophin receptor improves insulin sensitivity in diabetic mice.¹ Although targeting this receptor may offer a new way to treat insulin resistance, the challenge will be figuring out how to inhibit it in skeletal muscle and adipose tissue without impairing its function in neurons.

Insulin resistance in muscle and fat cells reduces glucose uptake, leading to chronically high blood glucose and type 2 diabetes. In most forms of insulin resistance, trafficking of solute carrier family 2 facilitated glucose transporter member 4 (SLC2A4; GLUT4) to the plasma membrane is impaired.² Unfortunately, it has remained unclear how to target GLUT4 to improve glucose uptake and insulin sensitivity...