Role of C-Jun N-terminal Kinase (JNK) in Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes

Overview

Journal Cells

Publisher MDPI

Specialties Biochemistry
Biophysics
Cell Biology
Molecular Biology

Date 2020 Mar 19

PMID 32183037

Citations 84

Authors

Justin Hou Ming Yung

Adria Giacca

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Obesity has been described as a global epidemic and is a low-grade chronic inflammatory disease that arises as a consequence of energy imbalance. Obesity increases the risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D), by mechanisms that are not entirely clarified. Elevated circulating pro-inflammatory cytokines and free fatty acids (FFA) during obesity cause insulin resistance and ß-cell dysfunction, the two main features of T2D, which are both aggravated with the progressive development of hyperglycemia. The inflammatory kinase c-jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) responds to various cellular stress signals activated by cytokines, free fatty acids and hyperglycemia, and is a key mediator in the transition between obesity and T2D. Specifically, JNK mediates both insulin resistance and ß-cell dysfunction, and is therefore a potential target for T2D therapy.

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