The Role of Insulin Receptors and Receptor Antibodies in States of Altered Insulin Action

Abstract

Summary and Perspectives

The insulin receptor is at a crucial step in insulin action serving as the link between extracellular insulin concentration and the metabolic pathways for insulin action. Changes in receptor number and affinity may occur under a variety of influences and play an important role in many disease states. The discovery of antibodies to the receptor has not only proved to be of interest with respect to illucidation of a mechanism for disease, but the antibodies themselves have been a unique probe of receptor structure and function. Recently, using these antibodies we have developed an im-munoassay for the solubilized insulin receptor (60). With this assay we should be able to further characterize the receptor, as well as uncover new defects in the receptor which may not be manifest by alterations in insulin binding. The future identification of other factors (including drugs) which regulate receptor concentration or affinity will also be important in our understanding of the hormone-receptor interaction, as well as of the management of disease states.