Affecting as many as 650 million people worldwide, obesity has become one of the most serious global health issues. Among its detrimental effects, it increases the risk of developing metabolic conditions, and primarily type-2 diabetes. If the strong links between obesity and type-2 diabetes are well known, the cellular and molecular mechanisms by which obesity predisposes to the development of insulin resistance were so far poorly understood. Today, scientists from the University of Geneva (UNIGE) unravel the factors linking obesity and insulin resistance, as well as the key role played by the liver in the onset of the disease. By deciphering how the protein PTPR-γ, which is increased in the context of obesity, inhibits insulin receptors located at the surface of liver cells, the scientists open the door to potential news therapeutic strategies. These results can be read in Nature Communications.
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