INSULIN AS A GROWTH-FACTOR

Various clinical syndromes illustrate the essential role of insulin in modulating somatic growth both in utero and after birth. The effect o f insulin on growth is a consequence of direct effects transduced via its homologous receptor and post-receptor signaling pathways and indir ect effects on other modulators of growth, such as the growth hormone- IGF axis. Recent insights into the post-receptor mechanisms of insulin signaling provide a scientific framework for the distinction between the traditional role of insulin as a major modulator of metabolism and its role as a promoter of growth.