Insulin: A Life-Saving Hormone and Key Regulator of Metabolism

Dear Colleagues,

The discovery of insulin nearly 100 years ago has saved a countless number of people with type 1 diabetes. Insulin is a peptide hormone that is produced by β-cells of the pancreas. β-Cells secrete insulin in a glucose-responsive manner, but the fine-tuning of the secretory response is further mediated by various factors including other nutrients, hormones, and neuronal inputs. Insulin clearance is an integral component of insulin metabolism as it regulates the cellular response to the hormone by decreasing insulin availability.

Insulin acts on multiple targets via membrane-bound tetrameric receptors with tyrosine kinase activity, thereby triggering various intracellular signal transduction pathways. Insulin is considered the main anabolic hormone of the body and is essential for maintaining glucose homeostasis and regulating carbohydrate, lipid, and protein metabolism. Insulin also has actions beyond the realm of energy metabolism, including actions on steroidogenesis, vascular function, fibrinolysis, and growth.

Dysregulated insulin secretion, clearance, and action are key pathophysiological features of diabetes, obesity, and related metabolic disorders.  For everyone with type 1 diabetes, and many with type 2 diabetes, exogenous insulin is required to control glucose levels. The fundamental aim of insulin therapy is to mimic the pattern of physiological insulin secretion pattern, requiring consideration of the timing and dosing of insulin according to glucose levels, route of insulin delivery, and the pharmacokinetic properties of insulin formulations. For millions of people living with diabetes, insulin is a lifesaving medication, but affordable access to the drug remains a challenge in low- and middle-income countries.

This Special Issue of Metabolites is dedicated to improving our knowledge on insulin physiology, metabolism, and replacement strategies and involves the following topics:

• Mathematical modeling of insulin physiology in health and disease—secretion, clearance, and action;
• Insulin release, signaling, and degradation at the molecular level;
• Insulin targets beyond glucose control—insulin and growth/cancer, insulin and the brain, insulin and inflammation;
• Novel approaches to reliably quantify endogenous and exogenous insulin concentrations;
• Towards more physiological insulin delivery patterns—single/multi-hormone artificial pancreas systems, implantable delivery systems;
• The current and future state of cell-based treatment approaches (transplantation and stem-cell approaches);
• Next-generation insulin formulations: faster-acting or glucose-responsive insulin, oral insulin;
• Insulin access and affordability.

We invite submissions related to any of these topics in the form of original research articles or reviews. The manuscripts will undergo the standard peer review process overseen by the Guest Editors. The submission deadline is 31 December 2020.

We look forwarding to receiving your submissions!

Prof. Chiara Dalla Man
Prof. Lia Bally
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Metabolites is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.