(Press-News.org) Stress does no one — not even your insulin-producing cells — any good.
Researchers from Osaka Metropolitan University have identified a gene that, when activated by metabolic stress, damages pancreatic β-cells — the cells responsible for insulin production and blood sugar control — pushing them toward dysfunction. The findings highlight a promising new target for early intervention in type 2 diabetes.
While many factors can contribute to type 2 diabetes, lifestyle, especially diet, plays a major role in its onset. Genetics matter, but poor eating habits can greatly increase the risk of developing what is now often called a “silent epidemic.”
“Type 2 diabetes occurs when pancreatic β-cells, which secrete insulin to regulate blood glucose, become impaired due to prolonged stress caused by poor dietary habits, a condition known as oxidative stress,” said Naoki Harada, an associate professor at Osaka Metropolitan University’s Graduate School of Agriculture and lead author of this study.
But what, exactly, wears out these vital cells?
Looking for an answer, the team turned to a stress-responsive gene called REDD2. These types of genes are activated when cells are under pressure and are meant to assist with the cells’ stress-coping strategies. This, however, sometimes backfires.
“We observed that increased expression of this gene damages β-cells, which in turn leads to reduced insulin secretion and the onset of diabetes,” Harada said.
The team found that REDD2 activity surged when β-cells were exposed to high levels of glucose, fatty acids, and STZ — a chemical commonly used to model diabetes in lab settings. When REDD2 levels were suppressed, the β-cells survived better and retained their function. Conversely, overactive REDD2 led to increased cell death and disruption of a key cellular growth pathway known as mTORC1.
Further experiments in culture cells and model mice also demonstrated that REDD2-deficient mice had better blood sugar control when fed a high-fat diet or exposed to diabetes-inducing chemicals. These mice also had greater numbers of healthy β-cells and produced more insulin. Data analysis of human islets supports the negative impacts of REDD2 on β-cell mass and insulin secretion capacity.
“We found that suppressing REDD2 expression protects β-cells from damage, even under stress from overeating, preventing the onset of diabetes,” Harada said.
The discovery of REDD2’s role as a key player in β-cell damage opens new possibilities for early diagnosis and treatment of type 2 diabetes.
“We hope REDD2 can serve as a diagnostic marker for type 2 diabetes and pave the way for new drugs or functional foods that target it,” Harada said.
The study was published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry.
###
About OMU
Established in Osaka as one of the largest public universities in Japan, Osaka Metropolitan University is committed to shaping the future of society through “Convergence of Knowledge” and the promotion of world-class research. For more research news, visit https://www.omu.ac.jp/en/ and follow us on social media: X, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn.
END
To save elephant populations from extinction, the international community banned the sale of their ivory — but selling mammoth ivory remains legal, and the two are difficult to tell apart, especially for non-experts. This leaves a possible loophole for sellers of poached ivory to exploit. Now stable isotope analysis could provide a cheap, rapid option to speed up sample screening and stop the sale of elephant ivory.
“Smugglers routinely use mixed shipments — an illegal wildlife product mixed with a legal one of similar appearance — to fool law enforcement,” said Dr Pavel Toropov ...
In this April 2025 issue of Annals of Thoracic Surgery (JCR Q1, IF: 3.6), a retrospective study, led by Professors Jianxing He and Shuben Li from the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, illustrated the safety, feasibility, and efficacy of extended sleeve lobectomy (ESL) after neoadjuvant immunochemotherapy in patients with centrally located non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
The article entitled "Extended Sleeve Lobectomy After Neoadjuvant Immunochemotherapy for Centrally Located Non-small Cell Lung Cancer". It is the first study ...
New research cast doubts over suggestions an incestuous social elite ruled over the ancient people of Ireland, 5500 years ago.
A paper led by researchers from University College Dublin, in collaboration with University of Bergen, Australian National University, University of York, University of Exeter, University of Liverpool, and Archaeological Consultancy Services Unit (a commercial archaeological company), has questioned the belief that burial within the ‘mega’ passage tomb of Newgrange was the preserve of kings and other dignitaries, who represented ...
Past years have witnessed impressive successes for tree models, while an important problem is to understand their predictions, especially for some critical applications. Previous interpretation methods for tree models focus on measuring the importance of individual features while ignoring plentiful correlations and structures among multiple features.
To solve the problems, a research team led by Wei GAO published their new research on 15 May 2025 in Frontiers of Computer Science co-published by Higher Education Press and Springer Nature.
The ...
The military prides itself on loyalty and respect but those values must extend to how they treat those who leave service, new research from Flinders University reveals.
Led by Australian Army veteran and Flinders University PhD Candidate Cameron Grant, the study analysed responses from nearly 400 former Australian Defence Force (ADF) members, uncovering widespread dissatisfaction with their discharge experience.
“The discharge process represents a complete severance of all military status, which can be extremely challenging in and of itself, but if that process is also unpleasant it can ...
Women who experience complications during pregnancy face a higher risk of stroke in the following decades according to research published in the European Heart Journal [1] today (Tuesday).
The study, which included data on more than two million women over more than 40 years, found an increased risk for women who had diabetes or high blood pressure while pregnant, a preterm delivery or a baby with a low birth weight.
Researchers say these common pregnancy complications could act as an early signal for cardiovascular problems in the future, meaning women could receive help early in life to lower their risk of ...
A landmark study by WEHI scientists has shed new light on one of the most fundamental mysteries of biology: how cells divide and grow into the complex structures that make up our bodies.
The study has produced a sophisticated and leading new technology for tracking cells very early during embryo development, as they divide, migrate and specialise into the organs, tissues and systems that keep us alive.
The innovative tech, called LoxCode, provides each cell in a genetically engineered mouse with one of billions of individual DNA barcodes, allowing them to be tracked in unprecedented detail.
Published in Cell, ...
Skin grafts genetically engineered from a patient’s own cells can heal persistent wounds in people with an extremely painful dermatologic disease, a Stanford Medicine-led clinical trial has shown. The grafts treat severe dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa, or EB, a genetic condition in which the skin is so fragile the slightest touch can cause blistering and wounds, eventually leading to large, open lesions that never heal and are immensely painful.
A phase 3 clinical trial showed that EB patients experienced significantly better healing, less pain and less itching from wounds treated ...
Endoscopies could be replaced by far less invasive capsule sponge tests for half of all patients with Barrett’s oesophagus, a known precursor to oesophageal cancer, according to a new study from researchers at the University of Cambridge, Addenbrooke’s Hospital and Queen Mary University of London.
The capsule sponge test is easier to administer and could be carried out by nurses and at GP practices, reducing the burden on NHS resources.
Oesophageal cancer is difficult to treat, with fewer than one in five patients surviving for five or more years following ...
New research has cast doubts over suggestions an incestuous social elite ruled over the ancient people of Ireland more than 5,000 years ago.
Researchers examined the evidence from burials of individuals at the Newgrange prehistoric monument in Ireland - a large circular mound containing a chamber where cremated and unburnt human remains were placed, the discovery of which led to speculation that those buried there must have been from an elite class or a royal family.
In 2020, the DNA analysis of a bone skull fragment found in the chamber, however, suggested that at least one of the individuals buried there was the result of a relationship ...
