Peng Y, Zhang DD, Gan L, Zhang JQ. Targeting Ras homolog enriched in brain 1 to restore β-cell mass and function: A potential therapeutic strategy for diabetes. World J Diabetes 2025; 16(9): 109768 [DOI: 10.4239/wjd.v16.i9.109768]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Jia-Qi Zhang, MD, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Ultrasound Imaging, Postgraduate Union Training Base of Xiangyang No. 1 People’s Hospital, School of Medicine, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, No. 15 Jiefang Road, Fancheng District, Xiangyang 441000, Hubei Province, China. 347235272@qq.com
Research Domain of This Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Article-Type of This Article
Editorial
Open-Access Policy of This Article
This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
World J Diabetes. Sep 15, 2025; 16(9): 109768 Published online Sep 15, 2025. doi: 10.4239/wjd.v16.i9.109768
Targeting Ras homolog enriched in brain 1 to restore β-cell mass and function: A potential therapeutic strategy for diabetes
Yao Peng, Dong-Dong Zhang, Ling Gan, Jia-Qi Zhang
Yao Peng, Ling Gan, Jia-Qi Zhang, Department of Ultrasound Imaging, Postgraduate Union Training Base of Xiangyang No. 1 People’s Hospital, School of Medicine, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Xiangyang 441000, Hubei Province, China
Dong-Dong Zhang, Department of Oncology, Xiangyang No. 1 People’s Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Xiangyang 441100, Hubei Province, China
Co-first authors: Yao Peng and Dong-Dong Zhang.
Co-corresponding authors: Ling Gan and Jia-Qi Zhang.
Author contributions: Peng Y and Zhang DD made equal contributions as co-first authors; Zhang JQ contributed to the writing and editing of the manuscript; Peng Y contributed to the discussion and design of the manuscript; Zhang DD contributed to the literature search; Gan L designed the overall concept and outline of the manuscript; Gan L and Zhang JQ made equal contributions as co-corresponding authors. All authors have read and approve the final manuscript.
Supported by Hubei Provincial Natural Science Foundation, No. 2025AFB845; and Graduate Innovation and Entrepreneurship Fund of Wuhan University of Science and Technology, No. JCX2024044.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
Open Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Jia-Qi Zhang, MD, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Ultrasound Imaging, Postgraduate Union Training Base of Xiangyang No. 1 People’s Hospital, School of Medicine, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, No. 15 Jiefang Road, Fancheng District, Xiangyang 441000, Hubei Province, China. 347235272@qq.com
Received: May 21, 2025 Revised: June 14, 2025 Accepted: August 6, 2025 Published online: September 15, 2025 Processing time: 113 Days and 18.5 Hours
Core Tip
Core Tip: Dysregulation of β-cell mass and function contributes to the development and progression of diabetes mellitus. In a recent study, Yang et al identified Ras homolog enriched in brain 1 (Rheb1) as a critical regulator of β-cell proliferation via both mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 and AMP-activated protein kinase signaling pathways. Rheb1 also enhances hepatocyte nuclear factor 4 alpha expression, further supporting its role in maintaining β-cell functionality. These results reveal an intricate signaling network through by Rheb1 supports β-cell growth and survival, highlighting its potential as a therapeutic target for diabetes management. Further research is warranted to explore the translational applications of these findings.
