Study reveals secrets of beta cell regeneration

Prof. Heiko Lickert, director of the Helmholtz Institute for Diabetes and Regenerative Research in Munich, professor at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) and member of the German Diabetes Research Center (DZD) has conducted a new study. Together with his team, they discovered the protein Inceptor in 2021 and described its role as an inhibitor of the insulin signaling pathway. The insulin receptor and the Inceptor are located on the surface of beta cells, where the Inceptor can block the insulin receptor, thereby reducing the cells’ sensitivity to insulin and weakening the signaling pathway. The current study goes further and shows that the Inceptor binds excess insulin inside the beta cell and directs it to be destroyed. “This knowledge of the function of the acceptor allows us to further understand how beta cells regulate their insulin homeostasis,” says Heiko Likert.

Regeneration of damaged beta cells

The increased concentration of the inceptor in beta cells suggests that the receptor plays a role in insulin secretion, which is regulated by beta cells. This process is often disrupted in diabetes, leading to elevated blood sugar levels. By blocking the Inceptor, the researchers were able to replenish insulin stores in the beta cells, increase insulin secretion, and prevent beta cell death.

Blocking the Inceptor, especially in already damaged cells, may help increase insulin production and protect beta cells.

The findings suggest that specifically targeting the Inceptor may be a promising strategy for improving the function of insulin-producing cells in people with diabetes. “Our goal is to develop new drugs based on our discovery that maintain the insulin balance of cells and prolong their viability,” Lickert says. Such a therapy could particularly help people in the early stages of type 2 diabetes to slow the progression of the disease and reduce the risk of developing complications.

From laboratory research to practice: launching new treatments for diabetes mellitus

To take his findings from the lab to the real world, Likert founded a startup. The company is developing drugs that specifically block the receptor to protect or regenerate beta cells. Initially, preclinical studies are needed to test the safety and efficacy of these new therapeutic approaches. “Our goal is to pave the way to clinical trials and thereby contribute to the treatment and hopefully even the cure of diabetes,” Lickert says.