Insulin-Degrading Enzyme Inhibitor is Validated

Researchers in the Liu and Saghatelian groups have identified and tested a new compound that regulates the degradation of insulin in animals. With the use of DNA-templated synthesis, a library of small molecules was generated, one of which demonstrated good inhibitory behavior in vivo. The research, published in the May 21st issue of Nature, also revealed that insulin-degrading enzyme has more complex functions than its name implies: namely, inhibiting the glucose-regulating peptide hormones glycagon and amylin, in addition to insulin.