Chapter 1 - Insulin biosynthesis and release in health and disease

Abstract

The discovery of insulin changed the landscape of diabetes treatment and research. The name insulin(e)—which came from the Latin word “insula” with reference to a hypothetical molecule that was secreted by the Islets of Langerhans—was coined by Jean de Meyer and Edward Albert Sharpey-Schafer, before the isolation of the peptide hormone by Banting and Best. Since its discovery, much effort has been expanded in understanding the synthesis and release of insulin in health and disease in order to allow us to understand better its role in the regulation of blood glucose concentrations and through this understanding, to allow us to develop better treatment for diabetes. In this chapter, we will review published data on the regulation of insulin biosynthesis and release in rodent and human pancreatic β-cells and discuss how the concerted regulation of these processes contributes to systemic glucose homeostasis.