Introduction to the Kinases in Diabetes Biochemical Society focused meeting: are protein kinases good targets for antidiabetic drugs?

Insulin regulates whole-body glucose homoeostasis by modulating the activities of protein kinases in its target tissues: muscle, liver and fat. Defects in insulin's ability to modulate protein kinase activity lead to 'insulin resistance' or impaired insulin action. Insulin resistance in combination with defective insulin secretion from the pancreas results in the elevated blood glucose levels that are characteristic of diabetes mellitus. Pharmacological agents that selectively modulate protein kinase activities in insulin-resistant tissues may act either as insulin-sensitizing or insulin-mimetic drugs. Consistent with this, small molecule modulators of a number of protein kinases have demonstrated efficacy in animal models of insulin resistance and diabetes. Moreover, emerging data in humans suggest that marketed anti-diabetic agents may also act in part through modulating protein kinase activities. This meeting was convened to consider the potential to treat insulin resistance and Type II diabetes by modulating protein kinase activity.