Certain brain areas, such as the hypothalamus, play a key role in glucose regulation. Dysfunction of these neuronal circuits may contribute to the development of type 2 diabetes to a similar degree as impaired pancreatic insulin secretion and insulin signaling. The authors, among them is Prof. Dr. Matthias Tschöp from the Helmholtz Diabetes Center (HDC) at the Helmholtz Zentrum München, therefore point out that a better understanding of the role of the brain in the systemic control of metabolism carries great potential for novel therapeutic approaches.
Link to press release by University of Washington „Brain may play key role in blood sugar metabolism and diabetes development"
Original publication
Schwartz, M. et al. (2013). Cooperation between brain and islet in glucose homeostasis and diabetes, Nature, doi: 10.1038/nature12709