Diabetes breakthrough: Toronto scientists cure disease in mice

[Guest guest]

An interesting email I received about finding by Toronto scientists on

diabetes. This could be good news for people who have diabetes.

 

Claim malfunctioning nerve cells the cause…

 

Published: Friday, December 15, 2006

 

In a discovery that has stunned even those behind it, scientists at a

Toronto hospital say they have proof the body's nervous system helps

trigger diabetes, opening the door to a potential near-cure of the

disease that affects millions of Canadians.

 

Diabetic mice became healthy virtually overnight after researchers

injected a substance to counteract the effect of malfunctioning pain

neurons in the pancreas.

 

" I couldn't believe it, " said Dr. Michael Salter, a pain expert at the

Hospital for Sick Children and one of the scientists. " Mice with

diabetes suddenly didn't have diabetes any more. "

 

The researchers caution they have yet to confirm their findings in

people, but say they expect results from human studies within a year or

so. Any treatment that may emerge to help at least some patients would

likely be years away from hitting the market.

 

Read the full post at:

http://informationalnetwork.blogspot.com/2006/12/diabetes-breakthrough-t\

oronto.html

<http://informationalnetwork.blogspot.com/2006/12/diabetes-breakthrough-\

toronto.html>

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Hello,

 

Very interesting indeed. I found more about this research, from

http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn10812-breakthrough-sheds-light-on-cause-of\

-diabetes.html:

 

Michael Dosch at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, and

colleagues, had previously shown that not only islet cells, but the

nerve tissue around them was affected as diabetes set in. For this

reason, they suspected that certain sensory nerves of the pancreas

might be involved. These nerves release a neuropeptide called

" substance P " and are usually responsible for ensuring that islet

cells produce the right amount of insulin.

 

The researchers used a chemical to obliterate these nerves in a breed

of mice genetically predestined to develop diabetes. " It turns out if

you remove these specific sensory nerves, the animals don't get

diabetes, " says Dosch. " It was stunning. "

 

Single injection

 

When the researchers examined the nerves of diabetes-prone mice and

compared them with normal mice, they found that the nerves of

diabetes-prone mice do not producing enough substance P. This causes

islet cells to overproduce insulin, leading to insulin-resistance and

eventually islet-cell death. It is at this point, says Dosch, that the

immune system is called into action, triggering diabetes.

 

The team wanted to know what would happen if they gave diabetic mice a

top-up of substance P, so they injected some directly into the

pancreas. Astonishingly, the diabetes disappeared overnight and the

mice remained diabetes-free for weeks, and even months in some cases.

[end quote]

 

Further reading at

http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2006/12/14/diabetes-neuron.html#skip300x250

 

 

, " boonkiatchua "

<boonkiatchua wrote:

>

>

> An interesting email I received about finding by Toronto scientists on

> diabetes. This could be good news for people who have diabetes.

>

> Claim malfunctioning nerve cells the cause…

>

> Published: Friday, December 15, 2006