-2 Composition for preventing or treating diabetes and method for screening antidiabetic agents using tetraspanin-2

摘要

The present invention relates to a composition for preventing or treating diabetes using tetraspanin-2 (TSPAN2), and a method for screening a diabetes treating agent. More specifically, the present invention relates to a pharmaceutical composition for preventing or treating diabetes and a method for screening a diabetes treating agent. The pharmaceutical composition includes an expression or activity inhibitor of tetraspanin-2 protein as an active ingredient. The method comprises: (a) a step of contacting a test material with cells expressing TSPAN2 genes; (b) a step of measuring a TSPAN2 gene expression level in control group cells which do not come in contact with the cells and the test material; and (c) a step of selecting a test material which reduces a TSPAN2 gene expression level as a diabetes treating agent candidate material in comparison to the control group cells. The composition and the method of the present invention can be useful to develop a diabetes treating agent of a totally new functional mechanism which inhibits expression or activity of TSPAN2 protein on the basis of the role of TSPAN2 which promotes apoptosis of pancreas beta cells through JNK and β-catenin in a hyperglycemic condition.