The role of glycogen synthase kinase-3 in insulin resistance and Type 2 diabetes

Glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK-3) is a ubiquitous cytosolic serine/threonine protein kinase that has been implicated in multiple receptor-mediated intracellular processes. Its unique feature, which distinguishes it from other protein kinases, is that it is constitutively active in resting conditions and acts as a suppressor of signalling pathways. The fact that the function of two key targets of insulin action, glycogen synthase and insulin receptor substrate-1, are suppressed by GSK-3, as well as the fact that GSK-3 activity is higher in diabetic tissues, makes it a promising drug discovery target for insulin resistance and Type 2 diabetes. Thus, the development of GSK-3 inhibitors has received attention as an attempt to control both the spread of the disease and its severity.