根据发表在7月10日的刊物《生物化学杂志》（Journal of Biological Chemistry）上的结果，人体制造胰岛素的能力或许可以通过抑制一种新发现的分子而得到提高，从而帮助治疗糖尿病。
这一分子被称为miR124，它是一种microRNA分子，由伦敦帝国学院和法国INSERM U145及EMI 0363的科学家共同发现。研究小组认为，miR124阻碍了胰脏中胰岛素的生成。它通过控制分泌胰岛素的β细胞的多个基因而实现这一点。
胰岛素负责控制体内血糖浓度，一旦胰岛素不足，就会导致糖尿病。因此科学家相信，如果找到抑制miR124或者其它相关的microRNA的药物，就可以保证身体产生更多的胰岛素，从而帮助对抗糖尿病。 
DNA通过RNA将基因信息转化为蛋白质，而microRNA结合到特定信使RNA上，阻止翻译过程的发生。它们阻碍蛋白质的合成然后干扰细胞的正常活动。某些合成分子可以关闭microRNA的活动，因此科学家希望可以驾驭它们的这一特性来关闭某些microRNA，包括miR124。小组同时期望了解，在编码miR124的基因中存在的多态现象是否使得某些人更容易患上糖尿病。
来自伦敦帝国学院医学系得Guy Rutter教授是此项研究的作者之一，他表示：“科学家们仅仅在数年前才发现microRNA的重要性。而发现这一特定的microRNA在控制胰岛素产生过程中起着基本作用是令人兴奋的，这将帮助我们找到治疗糖尿病的新工具，目前糖尿病影响着5%的人群，并且其发生率正在逐年上升。”此项研究得到了多个研究机构的支持。
原文报道：
Researchers find that microRNA molecule inhibits production of insulin
The body's ability to produce insulin could be enhanced through targeting a newly discovered molecule, helping to fight diabetes, according to research published today in the Journal of Biological Chemistry.
The molecule, described by researchers from Imperial College London and INSERM U145 and EMI 0363 in France, is a microRNA known as miR124. The researchers found that miR124 inhibits the production of insulin in the pancreas. It does this by controlling how several genes are expressed in the body’s beta cells, which secrete insulin.
Insulin is the principal hormone that regulates the uptake of glucose and if the body produces insufficient insulin this can cause diabetes.
The researchers believe that if drugs could be developed to suppress the action of miR124, and related microRNAs, in those with diabetes, this could enable more insulin to be produced, helping to combat the condition.
DNA encodes proteins via an intermediate messenger known as RNA, which is then 'translated' to create different proteins. MicroRNAs bind to and inhibit the translation of selected messenger RNAs. They block the synthesis of the encoded proteins and this interferes with processes carried out by cells.
Synthetic molecules known as antagomirs can inactivate microRNAs and scientists are hopeful that they might one day be able to harness their properties to switch off selected microRNAs, including miR124. The researchers are also keen to understand whether variations, or "polymorphisms", exist in the gene that encodes miR124, predisposing certain individuals to diabetes.
Professor Guy Rutter , from the Division of Medicine at Imperial College London and one of the authors of the research, said: "Scientists only discovered the importance of microRNAs a few years ago. Discovering that this particular microRNA plays a fundamental role in the control of insulin production is exciting, and may allow us to develop new tools to treat diabetes. Such findings may be useful in the fight against a disease which affects more than 5 % of the population and whose incidence is growing yearly."
This research was funded by The Wellcome Trust, the Medical Research Council and INSERM.
Source: Imperial College London
