Neonatal Diabetes and the K(ATP) Channel: From Mutation to Therapy

Activating mutations in one of the two subunits of the ATP-sensitive potassium (K(ATP)) channel cause neonatal diabetes (ND). This may be either transient or permanent and, in approximately 20% of patients, is associated with neurodevelopmental delay. In most patients, switching from insulin to oral sulfonylurea therapy improves glycemic control and ameliorates some of the neurological disabilities. Here, we review how K(ATP) channel mutations lead to the varied clinical phenotype, how sulfonylureas exert their therapeutic effects, and why their efficacy varies with individual mutations.