It seems that the treatment for diabetes could change soon, according to the latest reports. Check out the news, which could trigger massive excitement among patients below.
New potential diabetes treatment
According to the latest reports, the WEHI researchers in Melbourne have answered a 100-year-old question in diabetes research: “can a molecule different from insulin have the same effect?”
It seems that the findings provide important insights for the future development of an oral insulin pill.
It’s also been revealed that the research team has visualized how a non-insulin molecule can mimic the role of insulin. Just to refresh your memory, this is a key hormone that is needed to control blood sugar levels.
The WEHI-led study opens new avenues for the development of drugs that could replace daily insulin injections for people who, unfortunately, have to struggle with type 1 diabetes.
People with type 1 diabetes cannot produce insulin. This is the reason for which they need multiple daily insulin injections to keep their blood glucose levels in check.
The new research confirmed the fact that alternative molecules can be used to turn on blood glucose uptake, bypassing the need for insulin altogether.
The study, has been published in Nature Communications. It was led by WEHI’s Dr. Nicholas Kirk and Professor Mike Lawrence, in collaboration with researchers from Lilly, an American-based pharmaceutical company.
Dr. Kirk said that scientists have struggled to make insulin as a pill, and the reason for this move is the fact that insulin is unstable and readily degraded by the body upon digestion.
“Since the discovery of insulin 100 years ago, the development of an insulin pill has been a dream for diabetes researchers but, after decades of trying, there has been little success,” he said.
The research has now accelerated dramatically with the development of cryo-electron microscopy (cryo EM).
This is a new technology that can visualize complicated molecules in atomic detail. The technique allows researchers to generate 3D images (“blueprints”) of the insulin receptor rapidly.
“With cryo-EM, we can now directly compare how different molecules, including insulin, change the shape of the insulin receptor,” said Dr. Kirk.
