11 Oct 2018 --- An amino acid, alanine, may produce a short-term lowering of glucose levels by altering energy metabolism in the cell, scientists at Joslin Diabetes Center have found. Type 2 diabetes is driven by many metabolic pathways, with some pathways driven by amino acids, the molecular building blocks for proteins. The findings, published in Molecular Metabolism, show that it may be possible to use specific nutrients to change metabolism in a cell.