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Protein / target

Insulin receptor

Encoded byINSRP06213Homo sapiensSwiss-Prot
Clinically validated
Therapeutic maturity
15
Approved medicines
Open Targets target-level
View by indication →
30
Clinical trials
Small-molecule tractable
Druggability
Advanced Clinical

Protein at a glance

Biological role

Insulin-like growth factor receptor binding

Primary biology

Insulin / IGF signalling

Strongest disease association

Leprechaunism

Via encoding gene INSR · Genetic evidence · score 0.93

Therapeutic position

Established drug target

Small molecules

Derived from structured UniProt, Open Targets and literature data on this page.

Protein profile

UniProt 2026_02

Canonical identity and biological annotation from UniProt.

Function overview

Receptor tyrosine kinase which mediates the pleiotropic actions of insulin.

View complete UniProt function annotation

Receptor tyrosine kinase which mediates the pleiotropic actions of insulin. Binding of insulin leads to phosphorylation of several intracellular substrates, including, insulin receptor substrates (IRS1, 2, 3, 4), SHC, GAB1, CBL and other signaling intermediates. Each of these phosphorylated proteins serve as docking proteins for other signaling proteins that contain Src-homology-2 domains (SH2 domain) that specifically recognize different phosphotyrosine residues, including the p85 regulatory subunit of PI3K and SHP2. Phosphorylation of IRSs proteins lead to the activation of two main signaling pathways: the PI3K-AKT/PKB pathway, which is responsible for most of the metabolic actions of insulin, and the Ras-MAPK pathway, which regulates expression of some genes and cooperates with the PI3K pathway to control cell growth and differentiation. Binding of the SH2 domains of PI3K to phosphotyrosines on IRS1 leads to the activation of PI3K and the generation of phosphatidylinositol-(3, 4, 5)-triphosphate (PIP3), a lipid second messenger, which activates several PIP3-dependent serine/threonine kinases, such as PDPK1 and subsequently AKT/PKB. The net effect of this pathway is to produce a translocation of the glucose transporter SLC2A4/GLUT4 from cytoplasmic vesicles to the cell membrane to facilitate glucose transport. Moreover, upon insulin stimulation, activated AKT/PKB is responsible for: anti-apoptotic effect of insulin by inducing phosphorylation of BAD; regulates the expression of gluconeogenic and lipogenic enzymes by controlling the activity of the winged helix or forkhead (FOX) class of transcription factors. Another pathway regulated by PI3K-AKT/PKB activation is mTORC1 signaling pathway which regulates cell growth and metabolism and integrates signals from insulin. AKT mediates insulin-stimulated protein synthesis by phosphorylating TSC2 thereby activating mTORC1 pathway. The Ras/RAF/MAP2K/MAPK pathway is mainly involved in mediating cell growth, survival and cellular differentiation of insulin. Phosphorylated IRS1 recruits GRB2/SOS complex, which triggers the activation of the Ras/RAF/MAP2K/MAPK pathway. In addition to binding insulin, the insulin receptor can bind insulin-like growth factors (IGFI and IGFII). Isoform Short has a higher affinity for IGFII binding. When present in a hybrid receptor with IGF1R, binds IGF1. PubMed:12138094 shows that hybrid receptors composed of IGF1R and INSR isoform Long are activated with a high affinity by IGF1, with low affinity by IGF2 and not significantly activated by insulin, and that hybrid receptors composed of IGF1R and INSR isoform Short are activated by IGF1, IGF2 and insulin. In contrast, PubMed:16831875 shows that hybrid receptors composed of IGF1R and INSR isoform Long and hybrid receptors composed of IGF1R and INSR isoform Short have similar binding characteristics, both bind IGF1 and have a low affinity for insulin. In adipocytes, inhibits lipolysis (By similarity)

Subcellular location

Cell membraneLate endosomeLysosome
Domains and Gene Ontology detail (69)

Domains & features

Fibronectin type-III 1Fibronectin type-III 2Fibronectin type-III 3Protein kinase

Gene Ontology

  • Caxon
  • Ccaveola
  • Cdendrite membrane
  • Cendosome membrane
  • Cexternal side of plasma membrane
  • Cextracellular exosome
  • Cinsulin receptor complex
  • Clate endosome
  • Clysosome
  • Cmembrane
  • Cneuronal cell body membrane
  • Cplasma membrane

1382 aa · 156 kDa · 2 isoforms

Biological roles

Reactome v97

What this protein does, drawn together from its UniProt function, Gene Ontology terms and Reactome pathways.

Growth-factor signallingUniProt · GOCell proliferation & survivalGO · ReactomeReceptor tyrosine kinase signallingUniProtCell migrationGOTranscriptional regulationUniProt · GO
View supporting evidence

Growth-factor signalling

  • ·Receptor tyrosine kinase which mediates the pleiotropic actions of insulin. Binding of i…
  • ·insulin-like growth factor I binding
  • ·insulin-like growth factor II binding
  • ·insulin-like growth factor receptor binding

Cell proliferation & survival

  • ·positive regulation of cell population proliferation
  • ·PI5P, PP2A and IER3 Regulate PI3K/AKT Signaling

Receptor tyrosine kinase signalling

  • ·Receptor tyrosine kinase which mediates the pleiotropic actions of insulin. Binding of i…

Cell migration

  • ·positive regulation of cell migration

Transcriptional regulation

  • ·Receptor tyrosine kinase which mediates the pleiotropic actions of insulin. Binding of i…
  • ·positive regulation of DNA-templated transcription
  • ·regulation of DNA-templated transcription
View underlying pathways (6)

Concepts derived from UniProt GO Reactome — each badge above shows which sources supported that role.

Interaction neighbourhood

STRING v12.0

Proteins with the strongest functional or physical association. Node size and line weight reflect STRING confidence; hover or select a partner to inspect one association.

IRS1IRS2PTPN1INSIGF1IGF1RGRB14SH2B2SHC1IGF2INSR

10 strongest partners — larger node and heavier line mean higher confidence

Functional and physical associations from STRING v12.0. Only associations with this protein are drawn — partner-to-partner links are not part of this evidence.

Approved medicines with mapped indications

7 medicines · 3 areas

Approved therapies targeting this protein, grouped by what they are approved to treat — the disease-first view of the medicines below. Relationships come from the canonical approved-indication graph (ChEMBL phase-4), the same source as the drug cards.

15 medicines meet Open Targets' target-level approved-medicine definition; the 7 shown here are those on this page with a canonical approved disease indication in the graph. Approved indications from ChEMBL (phase-4), via the canonical drug→disease graph.

Drugs targeting this protein

7

How approved and investigational drugs engage this protein — mechanism and action type, direct vs complex targeting, and how broadly each acts across other targets. A drug-first view (the section above groups the approved ones disease-first); direct binders with few recorded targets are listed first.

Insulin Lispro
Narrow target profileApprovedAgonist

Insulin receptor agonist

Indicated for Diabetes Mellitus

Direct interaction with this protein · Only this protein recorded as a target

Insulin Aspart
Narrow target profileApprovedAgonist

Insulin receptor agonist

Indicated for Diabetes Mellitus

Direct interaction with this protein · Only this protein recorded as a target

Insulin
Narrow target profileAgonist

Insulin receptor agonist

Indicated for Diabetes Mellitus, Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2

Direct interaction with this protein · Only this protein recorded as a target

Insulin Glargine
Narrow target profileApprovedAgonist

Insulin receptor agonist

Indicated for Diabetes Mellitus, Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1, Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2

Direct interaction with this protein · Only this protein recorded as a target

insulin degludec
Narrow target profileApprovedAgonist

Insulin receptor agonist

Indicated for Diabetes Mellitus

Direct interaction with this protein · Only this protein recorded as a target

insulin icodec
Narrow target profileApprovedAgonist

Insulin receptor agonist

Indicated for Diabetes Mellitus, Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1, Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2

Direct interaction with this protein · Only this protein recorded as a target

View all 7 targeting drugs
insulin detemir
Narrow target profileApprovedAgonist

Insulin receptor agonist

Indicated for Diabetes Mellitus, Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1, Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2

Direct interaction with this protein · Only this protein recorded as a target

ChEMBL mechanism, action type, target identity and approved indications. Open Targets clinical status.

Translational evidence

Open Targets 26

Why this target matters therapeutically, strongest evidence first. Disease associations are gene-level (via the gene that encodes this protein) and open into the full confidence synthesis; the development universe, tractability and safety annotations are target-level, from Open Targets.

Strongest disease associations · via encoding gene INSR

Gene-level evidence surfaced through the gene INSRthat encodes this protein — not a direct protein–disease relationship. Ranked by Forefront's causal-directness weighting, so genetically- and clinically-evidenced diseases lead over ones that merely share the literature.

insulin-resistance syndrome type A
0.94Well supported

Genetic evidence dominant · Open Targets 0.84

Leprechaunism
0.94Well supported

Genetic evidence dominant · Open Targets 0.84

Diabetes Mellitus
0.94Well supported

Clinical evidence dominant · Open Targets 0.72

Rabson-Mendenhall syndrome
0.93Well supported

Genetic evidence dominant · Open Targets 0.82

Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2
0.93Well supported

Clinical evidence dominant · Open Targets 0.78

View evidence synthesis (5)
insulin-resistance syndrome type AWell supported
0.94
agreement 0.821.00
Genetic81%Animal model16%Literature3%Genetic literaturedup

Open Targets aggregate 0.84 · 3 independent evidence families · 1 not counted as duplicate

LeprechaunismWell supported
0.94
agreement 0.821.00
Genetic88%Animal model10%Literature2%Genetic literaturedup

Open Targets aggregate 0.84 · 3 independent evidence families · 1 not counted as duplicate

Diabetes MellitusWell supported
0.94
agreement 0.841.00
Clinical44%Genetic38%Animal model11%Literature7%

Open Targets aggregate 0.72 · 4 independent evidence families

Rabson-Mendenhall syndromeWell supported
0.93
agreement 0.811.00
Genetic87%Animal model10%Literature3%Genetic literaturedup

Open Targets aggregate 0.82 · 3 independent evidence families · 1 not counted as duplicate

Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2Well supported
0.93
agreement 0.831.00
Clinical47%Genetic40%Somatic mutation8%Literature5%Genetic literaturedup

Open Targets aggregate 0.78 · 4 independent evidence families · 1 not counted as duplicate

The evidence agreement range shows how closely the independent evidence families agree — it is not a statistical confidence interval, and nothing here is fitted to outcome data. Derived from Open Targets evidence types under Forefront weighting; the per-type scores above show the calculation.

Show all associations
insulin-resistance syndrome type A0.84
Leprechaunism0.84
Rabson-Mendenhall syndrome0.82
Diabetes Mellitus, Type 20.78
Donohue syndrome0.77
hyperinsulinism due to INSR deficiency0.73
Diabetes Mellitus0.72
Diabetes Mellitus, Type 10.63
Neurodegenerative Diseases0.53
Hypertension0.51

Drug development

23 compounds recorded · 15 approved · 8 in clinical development

Open Targets' development universe — every compound recorded against the target at any stage, not all approved medicines. Distinct from the 7 drugs that target this protein in Forefront's canonical graph (7 with a mapped approved indication, shown above): these count different sets and are not a subset relation.

View all recorded compounds (10)
BMS-754807Phase 2
INSULIN SUSP ISOPHANE RECOMBINANT HUMANApproval
INSULIN GLARGINEApproval
INSULIN DEGLUDECApproval
INSULIN PEGLISPROPhase 3
LINSITINIBPhase 3
KW-2450Phase 1 2
INSULIN DETEMIRApproval
INSULIN HUMAN, ISOPHANEPhase 3
INSULIN ICODECApproval

Open Targets known-drugs universe. Drug name and highest clinical stage only — the disease relationship is NOT read from this slice (it carries trial-context noise); approved indications come from the canonical graph above.

Tractability

Small moleculesStrong

Advanced Clinical and Structure with Ligand support this modality.

AntibodiesEmerging

Feasibility evidence (go cc high conf and uniprot loc med conf) — no clinical-stage drug of this modality recorded.

Protein degradersEmerging

Feasibility evidence (uniprot ubiquitination and database ubiquitination) — no clinical-stage drug of this modality recorded.

Other modalitiesStrong

Approved Drug support this modality.

View underlying tractability evidence (14)
SM · Advanced ClinicalSM · Structure with LigandSM · High-Quality LigandSM · High-Quality PocketSM · Druggable FamilyAB · GO CC high confAB · UniProt loc med confAB · UniProt SigP or TMHMMAB · Human Protein Atlas locPR · UniProt UbiquitinationPR · Database UbiquitinationPR · Half-life DataPR · Small Molecule BinderOC · Approved Drug

Raw Open Targets tractability assessment buckets, by modality.

Safety-related annotations

CarcinogenicityBrennan et al. (2024)cardiac hypertrophyBrennan et al. (2024)HyperglycaemiaBrennan et al. (2024)hyperlipidaemiaBrennan et al. (2024)regulation of catalytic activityToxCastanxietyBrennan et al. (2024)neoplasm/ malignancyBrennan et al. (2024)neutropeniaClinPGx

Terms indexed against this target in Open Targets' safety data, with their datasource. These are annotations, not causal claims: the direction of effect (whether activation or inhibition is implicated), species and evidence strength are not captured here, so an entry does not mean that modulating this target is known to cause that condition.

Clinical trials

30

Trials of drugs that target this protein — reached indirectly through those drugs, so a trial listed here studies the drug, not the protein. Ranked by active status, then clinical phase and recency, and spread across the targeting drugs.

View all trials (26)

ClinicalTrials.gov via the drug-target graph.

What's happening now

12

Recent therapeutic activity around this target — regulatory actions, clinical trials and safety signals for 6 drugs that target this protein, plus publications where such a drug is a genuine subject. Every item is reached indirectly through the drug, not the protein itself; incidental mentions (a paper that merely measures a drug) and press items are excluded.

  1. Trial status changed2026-07-29

    Role of NADPH Oxidase in Microvascular Dysfunction Following GDM

    Status changed to Active, not recruiting · ClinicalTrials.gov · via Insulin Aspart

  2. Regulatory approval2026-05-06

    Approval: Bysumlog (EMA)

    ema · regulatory · ema · via Insulin Lispro

  3. Regulatory approval2026-04-27

    Approval: Dazparda (EMA)

    ema · regulatory · ema · via Insulin Aspart

  4. Regulatory approval2026-01-09

    Approval: Ondibta (EMA)

    ema · regulatory · ema · via Insulin Glargine

  5. New publication2025-06-20
    What comparative endocrinology tells us about the original function of the insulin superfamily.

    Endocrine journal · 2025 · 1 citation · Europe PMC · via Insulin

  6. New publication2025-05-01
    Insulin Resistance in Type 1 Diabetes: Pathophysiological, Clinical, and Therapeutic Relevance.

    Endocrine reviews · 2025 · 29 citations · Europe PMC · via Insulin

  7. New publication2025-04-16
    GLP-1 and ghrelin inversely regulate insulin secretion and action in pancreatic islets, vagal afferents, and hypothalamus for controlling glycemia and feeding.

    American journal of physiology. Cell physiology · 2025 · 7 citations · Europe PMC · via Insulin

  8. New publication2024-12-02
    The effects of portfolio moderate-carbohydrate and ketogenic diets on anthropometric indices, metabolic status, and hormonal levels in overweight or obese women with polycystic ovary syndrome: a randomized controlled trial.

    Nutrition journal · 2024 · 9 citations · Europe PMC · via Insulin

  9. New publication2024-11-28
    GLP-1 and GIP agonism has no direct actions in human hepatocytes or hepatic stellate cells.

    Cellular and molecular life sciences : CMLS · 2024 · 16 citations · Europe PMC · via Insulin

  10. Regulatory approval2024-05-17

    Approval: Awiqli (EMA)

    ema · regulatory · ema · via insulin icodec

  11. Safety communication2014-12-11

    Drug Safety Update: Insulin degludec (Tresiba▼): available in additional higher strength

    mhra · safety · mhra · via insulin degludec

  12. Safety communication2014-12-11

    Drug Safety Update: Insulin glargine: studies of possible cancer link

    mhra · safety · mhra · via Insulin Glargine

Objective event titles are shown unmodified; the event kind and significance line are derived from structured fields. Forefront AttentionEvent stream aggregating Europe PMC Regulatory filings ClinicalTrials.gov.

Related literature

3

Papers indexed under “Receptor, Insulin” — a subject heading that covers this protein without being specific to it. Shown as context; not counted as this protein's own research activity.

Insulin signaling in health and disease.

Saltiel AR · The Journal of clinical investigation · 2021

Insulin receptor signaling in normal and insulin-resistant states.

Boucher J · Cold Spring Harbor perspectives in biology · 2014

Europe PMC literature, reached through a MeSH descriptor linked to this protein.