Recently, we identified Txnip (thioredoxin-interacting protein) as a mediator of glucotoxic
beta cell death and discovered that lack of Txnip protects against streptozotocin-and obesity-
induced diabetes by preventing beta cell apoptosis and preserving endogenous beta cell
mass. Txnip has therefore become an attractive target for diabetes therapy, but although we
have found that txnip transcription is highly induced by glucose through a unique
carbohydrate response element, the factors controlling this effect have remained unknown …