Crucial clumping of diabetes-causing proteins identified
Tuesday, November 12, 2013 - 15:01
in Biology & Nature
Subtle differences in the shape of proteins protect some and endanger others. All mammals make this same protein called amylin, and it only differs a little bit from species to species. In the mammals that get type 2 diabetes, the amylin proteins aggregate in the pancreas into plaque that kills the cells around them, thereby ceasing all insulin production.