Role of proteases in diabetes mellitus

Abstract

Dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4), a 110 kDa exopeptidase, selectively cleavesN-terminal dipeptides from a vast array of substrates. DPP-4 is expressed on thesurface of many cell types and plays various important roles in diseases likecancer, inflammation, diabetes, obesity. In type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), incretin hormones, glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), and glucose-dependentinsulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) play major roles in the regulation of insulinsecretion. Both GLP-1 and GIP are the substrates of DPP-4. That is why DPP-4inhibitors have gained significantly increasing interest in treating T2DMrecently. In addition to some general information on DPP-4, this chapter mainlydescribes its effects on relevant organs associated with T2DM and recent clinicaltrials. Besides, roles of some other proteases in diabetes mellitus have also beenbriefly discussed.