Glucose as a DAMP, Danger Associated Molecular Pattern: A New Proposition of Glucose Molecule in Inflammation-Associated Diabetes

Inflammation is the human body’s defense mechanism to protect from foreign invaders- yet is also the causal agent of an array of diseases that immensely burden our society today. The innate immune response is a nonspecific mechanism through which inflammatory cells (e.g. neutrophils, macrophages, etc.), destroy pathogens such as bacteria, fungi, and viruses, and also respond to internal tissue injury. The death of local tissues through necrosis can lead to the introduction of molecular sequences normally found on the inside of the cell – to the extracellular environment. These sequences are termed damage associated molecular patterns (DAMPs), and can bind to toll like receptors (TLRs) on inflammatory cells to propagate a pro-inflammatory response through the release of cytokines and chemoattractants. It is established that intracellular molecules such as DNA, histones, and ATP act as DAMPs upon extracellular release.1 However, the potential of glucose as a DAMP is a research target that requires further investigation.