Diabetes - International Center for Integrative Systems

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Version 1.0. Last Updated: June 11, 2025

Web-Enabled Molecular Systems Architecture of Diabetes

V.A. Shiva Ayyadurai^1,2, Prabhakar Deonikar^1,2
¹Systems Biology Group, CytoSolve Research Division, CytoSolve, Inc., Cambridge, MA
²Open Science Institute, International Center for Integrative Systems, Cambridge, MA

Summary

Diabetes is a chronic metabolic condition characterized by high blood sugar (glucose) levels. This occurs when the pancreas either doesn’t produce enough insulin, a hormone vital for allowing glucose to enter cells for energy, or when the body’s cells become resistant to the insulin it does produce.

There are two primary types. Type 1 diabetes, an autoimmune condition, typically develops in childhood or adolescence, where the immune system mistakenly attacks and destroys insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. Individuals with Type 1 require daily insulin injections to survive. Type 2 diabetes, the most common form, often develops gradually in adults and is strongly linked to lifestyle factors like obesity and physical inactivity. Here, the body either doesn’t make enough insulin or doesn’t use it effectively (insulin resistance).

Common symptoms of diabetes include increased thirst, frequent urination, unexplained weight loss, fatigue, and blurred vision. If left uncontrolled, persistently high blood sugar can lead to severe complications affecting various organs, including heart disease, stroke, kidney failure, nerve damage (neuropathy), and eye damage (retinopathy), potentially leading to blindness and amputations.