Joslin researchers discover new effect for insulin

The new work places SKN-1 alongside FOXO as a second master gene regulator that is inhibited by insulin signaling and adds to the body of knowledge about insulin and its effects on gene pathways, stress resistance and aging. According to the paper, insulin’s effect on SKN-1 occurs independently of its effect on DAF-16.

“You can manipulate the expression of SKN-1 and the worms live longer,” said Blackwell, an Associate Professor of Pathology at Harvard Medical School and faculty member at the Harvard Stem Cell Institute.

The experiments will have to be repeated in mammals, where insulin and insulin-like growth factor-1 have a complex array of effects in different tissues. But, according to Blackwell, other findings in the C. elegans model have generally turned out to be applicable to mice and humans.

Blackwell’s lab at Joslin is focusing on mechanisms of free radical resistance and aging, and on gene regulation mechanisms in C. elegans stem cells with the idea of using this knowledge towards reprogramming human stem cells into insulin-producing cells.

The research was funded by the National Institutes of Health and The Iacocca Foundation, the Fonds der Chemischen Industrie, BMBF NGFN2, Qualitaetsoffensive BW and Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft CRC746 and EC Network of Excellence Lifespan, as well as an NRSA, an NIH training grant, KRF and MOST/KOSEF.

Other researchers involved in the paper were Jennifer M.A. Tullet, Joseph Baker and Riva P. Oliveira of Joslin; Jae Hyung An of Joslin and Yonsei University in Korea; Ji Yun Hwang of Yonsei University; and Shi Liu, Ralf Baumeister and Maren Hertweck of the University of Freiburg.

About Joslin Diabetes Center

Joslin Diabetes Center is the world’s largest diabetes clinic, diabetes research center and provider of diabetes education. Joslin is dedicated to ensuring people with diabetes live long, healthy lives and offers real hope and progress toward diabetes prevention and a cure for the disease. Founded in 1898 by Elliott P. Joslin, M.D., Joslin is an independent nonprofit institution affiliated with Harvard Medical School. For more information on Joslin, call 1-800-JOSLIN-1 or visit www.joslin.org.