Brain insulin circuit. From the basics to impact on the clinic

Abstract

The discovery and synthesis of insulin have been vital in the study and treatment of diabetes mellitus. From the studies carried by Dr. Nicolae C. Paulescu in 1921 and descriptions of the pancrein, before those published by Banting and Macleod, the Nobel Prize winners in 1923, more metabolic and non-metabolic actions have been discovered and that are fundamental for life, growth, and development of different organs and systems. Diverse studies in animal models have shown the participation in the development of the central nervous system, regeneration, neuronal apoptosis, and synaptic transmission, as well as the effects of its dysregulation in the pathophysiology of diseases such as dementia. Different researchers have demonstrated the synthesis of insulin at the brain, the mechanisms through which the blood-brain barrier crosses and how it regulates non-metabolic systems linked with the neuromodulation. This document to integrate these findings in the cerebral insulin circuit and the translation in clinical practice.