PROTEIN TYROSINE PHOSPHATASE 1B (PTP1B) IN OBESITY AND TYPE 2 DIABETES

Increased incidence in obesity is reaching epidemic proportions and is placing a major burden on the healthcare systems in the developed countries. Obesity is a major risk factor for the development of type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease and cancer. Thus, the search for molecules that regulate the development of obesity and its associated pathologies is ongoing. Protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B) has been found to be a major regulator of body fat stores, energy balance, and insulin sensitivity in vivo. Increased expression of PTP1B is associated with insulin resistance in rodents and humans and deletion of PTP1B leads to leanness and insulin sensitivity in rodents, suggesting that PTP1B may be a very attractive molecular target for anti-obesity, anti-diabetic agents.