Uncapping insulin sensitivity

There is growing evidence that insulin resistance results from chronic inflammation and that macrophages may be a key cell type responsible for the induction of insulin resistance, which is a precursor to Type II diabetes. Researchers from the University of California at San Diego and colleagues have affirmed that hypothesis, and gone a step further by revealing two new targets - CAP and macrophage - to prevent and treat diabetes.

Cbl-associated protein (CAP) is expressed in fat and skeletal muscle tissue and helps those cells with glucose uptake. Thus, the researchers hypothesized that knocking out Sorbs1, the gene that codes for CAP, would result in insulin resistance...