Zinc transporters and insulin resistance: Therapeutic implications for type 2 diabetes and metabolic disease

Background: zinc is a metal ion that is essential for growth and development,immunity,and metabolism,and therefore vital for life. recent studies have highlighted zinc's dynamic role as an insulin mimetic and a cellular second messenger that controls many processes associated with insulin signaling and other downstream pathways that are amendable to glycemic control. main body: mechanisms that contribute to the decompartmentalization of zinc and dysfunctional zinc transporter mechanisms,including zinc signaling are associated with metabolic disease,including type 2 diabetes. the actions of the proteins involved in the uptake,storage,compartmentalization and distribution of zinc in cells is under intense investigation. of these,emerging research has highlighted a role for several zinc transporters in the initiation of zinc signaling events in cells that lead to metabolic processes associated with maintaining insulin sensitivity and thus glycemic homeostasis. conclusion: this raises the possibility that zinc transporters could provide novel utility to be targeted experimentally and in a clinical setting to treat patients with insulin resistance and thus introduce a new class of drug target with utility for diabetes pharmacotherapy. © 2017 the author(s).