Definition
A 37-residue pancreatic hormone co-secreted with insulin that slows gastric emptying and signals satiety.
Amylin, or islet amyloid polypeptide, is a 37-amino-acid hormone co-secreted with insulin by pancreatic beta cells. It acts on receptors formed by the calcitonin receptor paired with receptor activity-modifying proteins (RAMPs), mainly in the hindbrain, slowing gastric emptying, suppressing glucagon and signalling satiety. Native human amylin aggregates readily into amyloid fibrils, so research analogues are engineered for solubility. Pramlintide is an approved prescription medicine used alongside insulin. Cagrilintide, a long-acting lipidated analogue, has been evaluated in clinical trials alone and in combination with semaglutide. Amylin agonism is a distinct, complementary pathway to GLP-1 receptor agonism.