Diabetes biological models

As the first example, we considered the 2-h to 3-h pulsatile dynamics in insulin secretion rates reported for type II diabetics and age-matched normal persons by Polonsky et al. [18]. A main purpose of that part of our discussion was to emphasize some of the problems involved in defining the structure of the system, i.e. the involved physiological processes. Biological systems have feedback regulations at many different levels and time scales, and the most difficult part of the model formulation is generally to identify the relevant mechanisms. This often involves... 

Tarui, S., Yamada, K., and Hanafusa, T. (1987). Animal models used in the research of diabetes melhtusDwittepecial reference to insulitis-associated diabetes. In Animal Models Progress in Clinical and Biological Research, Vol. 229. J. Kawamata and E.C.Melby, eds. (New York Alan R.Liss), pp. 211 224. 

Systems biology is an area that academics and pharmaceutical companies are rapidly embracing. Systems biology seeks to understand the complex relationships between signaling cascades, transcriptional control, and disease-relevant phenotypes at the cellular and organism levels. Usually these interrelationships are presented as a computational model. For example, a model might be built of the insulin-signaling pathway as a means to better treat diabetes. 

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