Scientists Discover A New Way To Treat Type 2 Diabetes
Medication currently being used to treat obesity is also proving to have significant health benefits for patients with type 2 diabetes. A new study published today in Molecular Metabolism explains how this therapeutic benefit for type 2 diabetes is achieved by acting in our brain. Scientists from the University of Aberdeen Rowett Institute, in collaboration with teams from the Universities of Cambridge and Michigan, have discovered that the medication Lorcaserin acts in the brain to improve type 2 diabetes by modifying the activity of neurones that help to regulate blood glucose levels. Lorcaserin is prescribed to help patients lose weight and works by regulating how hungry we feel. However, researchers have discovered that as well as doing this, the drug can also reduce glucose levels in the body and increase the body's cells sensitivity to insulin. When the body fails to produce enough insulin or the body's cells fail to react to insulin this leads to Type 2 diabetes meaning that glucose remains in the blood rather than being used as fuel for energy. Professor Lora Heisler, who is leading the Aberdeen team, explains: "Current medications for type 2 diabetes improve symptoms of this disease by acting in the body. We have discovered that this obesity drug, lorcaserin, acts in the brain to improve type 2 diabetes. "Lorcaserin targets important brain hormones called pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) peptides, which are responsible for regulating appetite. So as well as sending messages telling us we are full and no longer need to eat, leading to weight loss, the POMC hormones also activate a different brain circuit that helps keep our blood glucose in check. "This discovery is important because type 2 diabetes is an incredibly prevalent disease in the modern world and new treat Continue reading >>
Type 2 Diabetes In Youth: Epidemiology And Current Research Toward Prevention And Treatment - Sciencedirect
Volume 108, Issue 4, Supplement , April 2008, Pages S45-S51 Author links open overlay panel Elizabeth J.Mayer-DavisPhD, MSPH, RD Get rights and content Type 2 diabetes mellitus has emerged as a diagnosis among adolescents in the United States, particularly among minority groups and concurrent with the well-documented epidemic of overweight and obesity. Opportunities for prevention of type 2 diabetes and approaches to optimized treatment regimens for adolescents with the disease have drawn largely from studies conducted in adult populations. Recognizing that much work remains to be done, this review summarizes key findings from recent research and highlights recent findings from large, ongoing studies of youth that address the prevalence and incidence of type 2 diabetes in young people, the prevalence of complications among this group, and the current knowledge base that informs opportunities for prevention and treatment of type 2 diabetes in adolescents. Continue reading >>
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Diabetes Research
Join 250,009 people in the Diabetes Forum Diabetes research paves the way for better treatment methods Diabetes research is one key to the future for all people with diabetes. Scientists around the world are conducting diabetes research across a phenomenal variety of fields. This research includes trying to find a cure for diabetes, improving diabetes medication and diagnostics, and making the day to day life of people with diabetes easier to lead. Diabetes research takes many forms throughout the world. Read about current diabetes research, developing methods of treatment and how you can get involved with research in the UK: There are numerous diabetes research institutions and foundations. In the UK, diabetes research is funded by charitable organisations such as the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and the charity Diabetes UK . Private sector companies also take a strong role in financing diabetes experts to carry out pioneering research to improve diabetes care. The latest diabetes research is published in diabetes journals such as Diabetes Care. With diabetes increasingly affecting every country in the world, diabetes researchers from across the planet are working towards thousands of different research goals. Research into diabetes is going on day in day out in various locations worldwide. Medical research studies often take years to complete so research into diabetes can be a slow process. Research into diabetes can include any of the following and much more: Effectiveness of blood glucose testing regimes Comparisons of different medication regimes Research into causes of and treatments for diabetes complications If youve been keeping a close eye on diabetes news, you may know that a number of cures have been found for rodents. However, what works in one sp Continue reading >>
Type 2 Diabetes Can Be Reversed In Just Four Months, Trial Shows
Type 2 diabetes can be reversed in just four months, trial shows Lifestyle changes coupled with drugs reversed diabetes in 40 per cent of patients in just four monthsCredit:Alamy Type 2 diabetes can be reversed in just four months by cutting calories, exercising and keeping glucose under control, a trial has shown. Although the condition is considered to be chronic, requiring a lifetime of medication , Canadian researchers proved it was possible to restore insulin production for 40 per cent of patients. The treatment plan involved creating a personalised exercise regime for each trial participant and reducing their calories by between 500 and 750 a day. The participants also met regularly with a nurse and dietician to track progress and continued to take medication and insulin to manage their blood sugar levels. After just four months, 40 per cent of patients were able to stop taking their medication because their bodies had begun to produce adequate amounts of insulin again. Encouraging exercise and cutting calories allowed the pancreas to rest, scientists believeCredit:Getty The researchers at McMaster University in Ontario, Canada, said the programme worked because it gavethe insulin-producing pancreas a rest. "The research might shift the paradigm of treating diabetes from simply controlling glucose to an approach where we induce remission and then monitor patients for any signs of relapse," said the study's first author, Dr Natalia McInnes, of McMaster. "The idea of reversing the disease is very appealing to individuals with diabetes. It motivates them to make significant lifestyle changes. This likely gives the pancreas a rest and decreases fat stores in the body, which in turn improves insulin production and effectiveness." The number of people in the UK with ty Continue reading >>
In A New Study, Researchers Claim They’ve Found A Way To Reverse Type 2 Diabetes
Reversing Type 2 Diabetes Researchers from Newcastle and Glasgow Universities believe they have found a way to effectively reverse type 2 diabetes, without requiring a new kind of drug or invasive surgery. Type 2 diabetes is a chronic condition that affects how a person’s body metabolizes sugar, either because they’ve developed resistance to the hormone insulin, or their pancreas fails to produce enough insulin. It’s long been believed that the condition is manageable, but not curable. According to findings published in the journal The Lancet, however, type 2 diabetes can be reversed through weight loss. More specifically, by reducing the amount of fat being carried in and around the abdomen, as accumulated fat in this region impedes the function of the pancreas. The study included 298 patients, aged 20 to 65, who had been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes within the previous six years. Half of the patients were put on a low-calorie diet and lost an average of 10 to 15 kg (22 to 33 pounds). The other half of patients, who served as a control group, received the best diabetes management available — but that did not include a weight loss program. Of the patients who lost weight, more than half saw their diabetes go into remission: 86 percent of the patients who lost more than 15kg, 57 percent who lost 10 to 15 kg, and 34 percent who lost 5 to 10 kg. Of the patients in the control group who were not on a weight management protocol, only 4 percent saw their diabetes go into remission. “These findings are very exciting. They could revolutionize the way type 2 diabetes is treated. This builds on the work into the underlying cause of the condition, so that we can target management effectively,” lead researcher Roy Taylor, from the Newcastle University, told The Guardi Continue reading >>
Type 2 Diabetes Research Focuses On Four Main Areas:
Type 2 diabetes,which used to becalled adult-onset or non insulin-dependent diabetes, results when the body doesnt produce enough insulin or is unable to use insulin properly (a condition called insulin resistance ). This is the most common form of diabetes, accounting for 90%-95% of all cases. It usually occurs in people who are over 40, overweight, and have a family history of the disease although it is also becoming more common in younger people, particularly adolescents. Research indicates that type 2 diabetes is caused by a combination of environmental and genetic factors. Many risk factors make people more likely to develop the disease including obesity, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and physical inactivity. Type 2 diabetes is more common among Native Americans, African Americans, Latinos and Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders. Also, people who develop diabetes while pregnant (a condition called gestational diabetes) are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes later in life, as are people with prediabetes or the metabolic syndrome two diseases that are closely related to type 2 diabetes. People who live with type 2 diabetes must monitor their blood glucose and be sure to keep it in a healthy range through a combination of diet and physical activity. Their doctors may prescribe medications to decrease insulin resistance and although their bodies can still produce some insulin, they may also need to take an additional dosage. In any case, keeping blood glucose as close to normal as possible is very important because poor glucose control is associated with an increased risk of serious complications including damage to blood vessels (vascular complications) which may lead to eye, heart and kidney disease. Type 2 Diabetes Research Focuses on Four Main Areas: Pre Continue reading >>
Intensive Medical Treatment Can Reverse Type 2 Diabetes
Contact: Aaron Lohr Chief Communications Officer Phone: 202.971.3654 [email protected] Contact: Jenni Glenn Gingery Associate Director, Communications and Media Relations Phone: 202.971.3655 [email protected] Intervention induced several months of remission in up to 40 percent of clinical trial participants Washington, DC - Type 2 diabetes can be reversed with intensive medical treatment using oral medications, insulin and lifestyle therapies, according to a study published in the Endocrine Society’s Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. Type 2 diabetes is typically thought of as a chronic condition. As it progresses, individuals with type 2 diabetes often need to use a healthy diet, exercise and an increasingly complex combination of medications to manage the condition. “By using a combination of oral medications, insulin and lifestyle therapies to treat patients intensively for two to four months, we found that up to 40 percent of participants were able to stay in remission three months after stopping diabetes medications,” said the study’s first author, Natalia McInnes, MD, MSc, FRCPC, of McMaster University and Hamilton Health Sciences, in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. “The findings support the notion that type 2 diabetes can be reversed, at least in the short term—not only with bariatric surgery, but with medical approaches.” One in 10 American adults has type 2 diabetes, according to the Society’s Endocrine Facts and Figures report. The condition occurs when an individual doesn’t produce enough insulin—the hormone that allows cells to absorb glucose in the blood—or the pancreas isn’t making insulin as efficiently as it could. As a result, blood sugars build up in the body and the cells do not receive the energy they need. To s Continue reading >>
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Researchers Make Progress On A Pill To Stop Type 2 Diabetes
Pharmaceutical researchers are one step closer to making a pill that can reverse the symptoms of type 2 diabetes. They published their research in the journal Nature Chemical Biology. Diabetes and its complications are a major issue within the United States and abroad. In 2012, the American Diabetes Association reported that 29.1 million Americans, or 9.3 percent of the population, lived with diabetes. Various factors, including age and obesity, can cause a person’s body to stop responding to the blood-sugar regulating hormone called insulin. Current drugs for type 2 diabetes work by eliminating glucose from a person’s bloodstream. These prescriptions can help a great deal, but they’re not a cure, and the side effects can be nasty. The authors of the new study wondered if they could address the problem farther up in the pipeline by convincing the body to respond to insulin again. They created a compound that blocks the release of a chemical called low molecular weight protein tyrosine phosphatase (LMPTP), an enzyme that’s previously been implicated in insulin resistance. They gave the drugs to a group of obese, diabetic mice by mouth, once a day for four weeks, all the time monitoring the rodents’ blood sugar and insulin resistance. In that short time, the animals’ bodies began responding to insulin and their blood sugar began to stabilize. The mice experienced no side effects. The next step will be testing the drug in other animals, and then in people. Lead researcher Stephanie Stanford of the University of California, San Diego, is hopeful the pill’s success will translate into the human body and reduce the need for insulin injections and other drugs. “This could lead to a new therapeutic strategy for treating type 2 diabetes,” she told New Scientist Continue reading >>
Progress In Research
Since Banting and Bests discovery of insulin in Toronto in 1921, the scope of diabetes research in Canada has been vast and the numerous studies both varied and unique. There have been huge strides and key advances in mapping and understanding the physiology, biochemistry, and genetics of diabetes. Diabetes Canada understands funding of diabetes research is a crucial step in providing these advances. This is why we choose, each year, to fund Canadas most renowned scientists and clinicians in their quest for new and innovative developments in the prevention, treatment, and management of diabetes. And although the research is diverse in its scope, covering a broad range of specialties, the key aspects of every study and researcher remain the same to improve the quality of life of people living with diabetes and to find a cure. Since Banting and Bests discovery of insulin in Toronto in 1921, the scope of diabetes research in Canada has been vast. The innovative research funded by Diabetes Canada has contributed to key advances in mapping and understanding the physiology, biochemistry, and genetics of the disease. Although the topics of Canadian researchers are varied and unique, the objective of every study remains the same to find a cure and improve the quality of life of people living with diabetes. The known history of diabetes through the ages began in 1552 BCE, when an Egyptian physician first described diabetes and listed remedies to combat the passing of too much urine. The history of Diabetes Canadas relationship with diabetes research is much more recent: Since 1975 and the establishment of the Charles H. Best Research Fund named for insulin co-discoverer and Diabetes Canada co-founder Dr. Charles H. Best Diabetes Canada has awarded more than $120 million in rese Continue reading >>
Type 2 Diabetes | Diabetes Clinical Trials
Type 2 diabetes, or formerly known as non insulin-dependent or adult-onset diabetes, occurs when the body can no longer produce a sufficient amount of insulin or cant use the insulin it produces properly. When the latter occurs in patients, this is also referred to as insulin resistance. (See also: Information about Type 1 Diabetes ) About 90 95% of all diabetes cases are type 2, which undoubtedly makes this the most common form of the illness. Unfortunately, there have been a number of younger adults and adolescents who have been diagnosed with T2D; more commonly people who are overweight, around 40, and have a history of diabetes cases in their family will be diagnosed with the disease. Recent clinical trials has shown that a combination of environmental and genetic factors play a pivotal role in deciding who could be diagnosed with this illness. Medical researchers have found that obesity, high cholesterol, hypertension, and a lack of exercise are among the chief risk factors in many people who will be more likely to develop signs of type 2 diabetes . Clinical research has also shown that type 2 diabetes is more common among African Americans, Native Americans, Latinos and Asian Americans. (If you have type 2 diabetes and live in Florida, you could qualify for our diabetes clinical trial in DeLand , FL.) Research has also shown that any women who have developed gestational diabetes (during their pregnancy) are at a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes later in their lives. People who have a blood sugar level that is higher than normal run a high risk of developing T2D, if they dont seek any medical intervention. If a person has been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes , they must make some immediate lifestyle changes. T2D patients must closely monitor their blood gl Continue reading >>
Breakthrough In Type 2 Diabetes Diet Treatment Research
Researchers in Adelaide have developed a diet and exercise programme that has proved to be highly effective in reducing the burden of type 2 diabetes, with an average 40% reduction in medication levels required. The diet incorporates an eating pattern that is very low in carbohydrates and higher in protein and unsaturated fats. The programme is based on the findings from a A$1.3 million (US$929,300) National Health and Medical Research Council funded study, which compared the low carbohydrate eating pattern with the current best practice approach of managing type 2 diabetes with a high-unrefined carbohydrate, low-fat diet, according to scientists at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation or CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency. "The research results are ground breaking," Associate Professor Grant Brinkworth, principal research scientist at the CSIRO said. He said health professionals have been divided over the best dietary approach for managing type 2 diabetes, and the ongoing uncertainty is a hotly debated topic among clinicians and researchers. "The most amazing benefit of the low carbohydrate diet was the reduction in the patient’s medication levels, which was more than double the amount than the volunteers following the lifestyle programme with the high-carbohydrate diet plan,” he said. "Some of the participants managed to cease their medications altogether, and many described the study as life changing.” Sixty patients tested the diet, low in carbohydrates but high in protein and unsaturated fats, in the two-year study. Medication use on average was almost double the reduction among 60 other volunteers on existing recommended diets. Some stopped medication completely. Stephen Barnett, 65, a volunteer in the two-year study, wa Continue reading >>
New Drug Appears To Eliminate Type 2 Diabetes For First Time
Type 2 diabetes, although influenced by a person’s genes, is largely thought to be brought about by a poor diet and being overweight for prolonged periods of time, particularly at an old age. The pancreas is either unable to produce enough insulin, or the body’s cells simply don’t react to insulin, which leads to dangerously high blood sugar levels. This is known as insulin resistance, and at present, there is no medical way to treat this. A new drug forged by a team at the University of California, however, might prove to be a veritable game-changer. As reported by New Scientist, a daily dose of the drug, given to mice with insulin resistance, canceled out the harmful condition. This is the first time that any treatment has effectively “cured” type 2 diabetes. The team of researchers had an inkling that a particular enzyme was responsible for bringing about insulin resistance. The enzyme – cacophonously known as low molecular weight protein tyrosine phosphate, or LMPTP – can be found in the liver, and it appears to interact with cells in such a way that they become resistance to the presence of insulin. Conjuring up a brand new drug that was specifically designed to hinder the progress of LMPTP, the team thought that it would allow the cells’ insulin receptors to once again be able to react to insulin as they normally would. Much to their delight, they found that they were correct. “Our findings suggest that LMPTP is a key promoter of insulin resistance and that LMPTP inhibitors would be beneficial for treating type 2 diabetes,” the team noted in their Nature study. For this study, their drug was orally administered to a few unfortunate laboratory mice. These mice had been fed an extremely high-fat diet, and they had developed obesity and type 2 dia Continue reading >>
Clinical Research In Type 2 Diabetes
Studies in humans aimed at the prevention, treatment, and diagnosis of Type 2 Diabetes and the mechanistic aspects of its etiology. The Clinical Research in Type 2 Diabetes program supports human studies across the lifespan aimed at understanding, preventing and treating type 2 diabetes (T2D). This program includes clinical trials that test pharmacologic, behavioral, surgical or practice-level approaches to the treatment and/or prevention of T2D, including promoting the preservation of beta cell function. Studies may also advance the development of new surrogate markers for use in clinical trials. Studies can be designed to understand the pathophysiology of T2D, including the role of gestational diabetes and metabolic imprinting on the development of T2D, as well as factors influencing the response to treatment. The program also encompasses epidemiologic studies that improve our understanding of the natural history and pathogenesis of T2D, and the development of diagnostic criteria to distinguish type 1 and type 2 diabetes, especially in the pediatric population. The program also supports research to test approaches to reduce racial/ethnic disparities in the incidence and/or clinical outcomes of T2D. Andrew Bremer, M.D., Ph.D. Clinical studies in gestational diabetes and maternal outcomes, and HIV/AIDS-associated metabolic and endocrine dysfunction Christine Lee, M.D., M.S. Clinical studies on the development, diagnosis and medical treatment of type 2 diabetes in adults; clinical studies of diabetes in older adults Barbara Linder, M.D., Ph.D. Type 2 diabetes in children and youth; medical management of type 1 diabetes in children, youth and adults; human studies of metabolic imprinting Luke E Stoeckel, Ph.D. Cognitive and clinical neuroscience of the non-homeostatic (i Continue reading >>
Current Research Projects
The 2017 Millennium Award - Type 1 was awarded to A/Professor Stuart Mannering from St Vincent's Institute of Medical Research (SVI) in Melbourne. Dr Mannering's research aims to develop an immune therapy to prevent type 1 diabetes. The 2017 Millennium Award - Type 2 was awarded to Dr Seth Masters of The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research (WEHI) in Melbourne. Dr Master's research focuses on the role of NLRP1 and IL-18 in type 2 diabetes. The 2016 Millennium Award Type 1 was awarded to Dr Andrew Sutherland from St Vincents Institute of Medical Research (SVI) in Melbourne. Dr Andrew Sutherlands research aims to provide new targets for therapeutic intervention to prevent Type 1 diabetes. The 2016 Underworks Millennium Award Type 2 was awarded to Dr Muh Geot Wong of the Kolling Institute of Medical Research in Sydney. Dr Muh Geot Wong's research focuses on preventing kidney disease complications. 50 General Grants of up to $60,000 each were awarded in 2017. 51 General Grants of up to $60,000 each were awarded in 2016. 49 General Grants of up to $60,000 each were awarded in 2015. Continue reading >>
Type 2 Diabetes Research
From 1980 to 2011, the number of Americans with diagnosed diabetes more than tripled from 5.6 million to 20.9 million according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Sedentary lifestyles coupled with increasedcaloric intake have been major determinants to the increase in the prevalence of the disease. In adults, type 2 diabetes accounts for 95 percent of all diagnosed cases. This is a manageable disease. Its also preventable. At the UF Diabetes Institutewere workingto unlock the mysteriesof type 2 diabetesand its complications, and identifying risk factors and innovating new ways to treat, educate, and ultimately prevent the disease. Particularly among adults, diagnosis of type 1 versus type 2 diabetes can be challenging. Around 515 percent of adults diagnosed with type 2 diabetes might actually have type 1 disease with islet autoantibodies present; if this is the case, perhaps as many as 50 percent of actual type 1 diabetes cases are misdiagnosed as type 2. In addition, rare genetic forms of diabetes, alternative to type 1 and type 2, have been identified. UF researchers are improving screening standards for diabetes to ensure accurate diagnoses of disease manifestation and offer an array of available safe, available treatment options which may help to predict future risk. Currently, two out of three adult Americans are overweight or obese a precursor to type 2 diabetes. Lifestyle interventions can be effective in helping individuals loseweight, but participants commonly regain much of the weight afterprogram completion.UF researchers are exploring ways to address the issue for all populations.In-person, extended care programs can help in maintainingweight loss, but individuals who live in rural areaswho are more likely to be obesemay find it difficult to Continue reading >>
