Overview

• Collagen I provides a surface that accelerates amylin aggregation, forming stable amyloid clumps that resist cellular clearance and heighten β-cell toxicity.
• Studies in diabetic mice and human pancreatic tissue show simultaneous rises in collagen and amylin levels as type 2 diabetes advances.
• Researchers are creating high-resolution cryo-electron microscopy models of the amylin–collagen interaction to reveal structural targets for new therapeutics.
• Experimental transplantation of pancreatic islets on biomimetic 3D scaffolds is being tested to restore insulin-producing β-cell function before irreversible damage.
• These efforts mark a shift toward disrupting extracellular protein interactions in the pancreatic microenvironment to more effectively halt type 2 diabetes progression.