GENETIC MANIPULATION OF INSULIN ACTION AND BETA-CELL FUNCTION IN MICE

Transgenic and gene targeting approaches have now been applied to a nu mber of genes in order to investigate the metabolic disorders that wou ld result by manipulating insulin action or pancreatic p-cell function in the mouse. The availability of such mutant mice will allow in the future to develop animal models in which the pathophysiologies resulti ng from polygenic defects might be reconstituted and studied in detail . Such animal models hopefully will lead to better understanding of co mplex polygenic diseases such as non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellit us (NIDDM).