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Nature 432, 958-959 (23 December 2004) | doi:10.1038/432958a; Published online 22 December 2004

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Diabetes: Outfoxing insulin resistance?

Marc Montminy1 & Seung-Hoi Koo1

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Resistance to insulin predisposes people to diabetes; it is characterized by increased storage of fats and a failure to stop glucose synthesis. The molecular underpinnings of these effects have been uncovered.

Type II diabetes affects some 5% of adults in most developed countries, and a far higher proportion of the population exhibits insulin resistance, a condition that predisposes individuals to diabetes. The mechanisms leading to insulin resistance are unclear, although the abnormal accumulation of certain fats in the liver (hepatic steatosis) is a contributing factor.

  1. The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, California 92130, USA.
    Email: montminy@salk.edu

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