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FOCUS ON RESEARCH Previous Volume 356:1499-1501 April 12, 2007 Number 15 Next

	Since this article has no abstract, we have provided an extract of the first 100 words of the full text and any section headings.

	Full Text PDF PDA Full Text Purchase this article Perspective Perspective by Larsen, C. M. Add to Personal Archive Add to Citation Manager Notify a Friend E-mail When Cited E-mail When Letters Appear Related Article by Larsen, C. M. PubMed Citation

In the simplest terms, diabetes mellitus results when pancreatic beta cells are unable to maintain adequate insulin secretion to prevent hyperglycemia. A combination of genetic and environmental factors causes the underlying beta-cell failure. In type 1 diabetes, a T-cell–mediated autoimmune response against beta cells appears to be the main disease mechanism, whereas insulin resistance is the key metabolic abnormality in type 2 diabetes. Yet the way in which insulin resistance triggers beta-cell failure remains obscure. The report by Larsen et al. in this issue of the Journal (pages 1517–1526) provides insight into a shared mechanism of beta-cell dysfunction in type . . . [Full Text of this Article]

Source Information

Dr. Rother is an attending physician and principal investigator in the Clinical Endocrinology Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, Bethesda, MD.

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