Research

Hormonal

Adiponectin enhances insulin signaling in target tissues by promoting the binding of IRS1/2 to the insulin receptor via the adaptor protein APPL1, thereby sensitizing cells to insulin.

This mechanism explains why metabolic health is interconnected. It suggests that factors affecting the APPL1 protein or insulin receptor substrate binding could impact how well your body responds to insulin. While there is no direct intervention for APPL1 yet, maintaining metabolic health supports these intricate signaling networks.

ModerateSupportsMEDIUM confidence
APPL1 promotes IRS1/2 binding to the insulin receptor... This process plays a key role in improving insulin sensitivity
Hong Ruan et al. · Journal of Molecular Cell Biology · 2016

Why this rating

Based on mechanistic studies in cell lines and knockout mice; direct human therapeutic application is not yet established.

Source

Adiponectin signaling and function in insulin target tissues

Hong Ruan et al. · Journal of Molecular Cell Biology · 2016

DOI 10.1093/jmcb/mjw014

narrative_reviewCited 390×
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DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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