Swedish researchers have detected a protein that appears to be involved with increasing the risk of obese individuals for developing type 2 diabetes. The liver and muscle fat deposits of obese people interfere with the release of insulin for processing increased blood sugar levels, consequently resulting in type 2 diabetes. In the Nature Cell Biology journal, researchers from Sahlgrenska Academy report that the SNAP23 protein appears to be removed from the process triggering insulin upon cellular fat accumulation in cultured muscle cells; the removal of insulin then results in development of type 2 diabetes. Though obesity is a risk factor in development of type 2 diabetes, no current research exists detailing the scientific link between the two.

While further research is needed before testing the study in patients, researchers say the finding provides a possibility for interfering with the insulin process and resulting in a preventative treatment for type 2 diabetes.