Role of S100 proteins in health and disease.

The S100 family of proteins contains 25 known members that share a high degree of sequence and structural similarity. However, only a limited number of family members have been characterized in depth, and the roles of other members are likely undervalued. Their importance should not be underestimated however, as S100 family members function to regulate a diverse array of cellular processes including proliferation, differentiation, inflammation, migration and/or invasion, apoptosis, Ca homeostasis, and energy metabolism.

Type 2 diabetes - An autoinflammatory disease driven by metabolic stress.

Type 2 diabetes has traditionally been viewed as a metabolic disorder characterised by chronic high glucose levels, insulin resistance, and declining insulin secretion from the pancreas. Modern lifestyle, with abundant nutrient supply and reduced physical activity, has resulted in dramatic increases in the rates of obesity-associated disease conditions, including diabetes. The associated excess of nutrients induces a state of systemic low-grade chronic inflammation that results from production and secretion of inflammatory mediators from the expanded pool of activated adipocytes.