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Type 2 diabetes: what the “hidden switches” inside our cells are finally revealing
8 mai 2026
By Elodie Vaz | Published on May 8,
2026 | 4 min read
Type 2 diabetes is characterized by chronically elevated blood glucose levels resulting from an imbalance between two essential pancreatic hormones: insulin, secreted by beta cells, and glucagon, produced by alpha cells. When insulin production or action declines, or when glucagon production becomes excessive, glucose homeostasis is disrupted. While the genetic foundations of the disease are well documented, the mechanisms regulating gene expression in these cells remain only partially understood. The epigenome—a collection of chemical modifications to DNA that influence gene activity without altering its sequence—is now emerging as a central regulator of these processes.
Type 2 diabetes is characterized by chronically elevated blood glucose levels resulting from an imbalance between two essential pancreatic hormones: insulin, secreted by beta cells, and glucagon, produced by alpha cells. When insulin production or action declines, or when glucagon production becomes excessive, glucose homeostasis is disrupted. While the genetic foundations of the disease are well documented, the mechanisms regulating gene expression in these cells remain only partially understood. The epigenome—a collection of chemical modifications to DNA that influence gene activity without altering its sequence—is now emerging as a central regulator of these processes.
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Scientific reference
Ofori, J.K., Ruhrmann, S., Lindström, A. et al. Cell-specific DNA methylation in human alpha and beta cells regulates gene expression in type 2 diabetes. Nat Metab 8, 957–980 (2026).
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