Diabetes

Fat cell research points to new approach on obesity

Tue, 06 May 2008 06:59:59 -0400

Swedish researchers have concluded that the number of fat cells present in the body is a constant, remaining unchanged regardless of how much a person weighs or gains. Every year about 10 percent of those fat cells die off and are replaced. And the conclusion has raised a host of questions among obesity researchers anxious to find an effective method to counter the accumulation of fat in an increasingly obese society. Can new methods, for example, lead to fewer fat cells in an adult? And can fat cells be killed off faster than they are reborn?

- read the article in the New York Times

ALSO: Anyone who is born with two copies of a newly discovered genetic variant on average weigh 3.3 pounds more than someone who has neither. And that may help explain why any two people who share exactly the same lifestyle may not weigh the same. Report

Merck KGaA budgets $1.58B for drug R&D

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 06:59:59 -0400

With about 40 drug development projects in the pipeline, Germany's Merck KGaA says it will spend about €1 billion ($1.58 billion) on drug research this year. That R&D budget represents about 22 percent of sales and is a big increase on last year's budget of €890 million. Merck officials say they're out to sell their diabetes research division, and plan to focus on four key areas: cancer, infertility, nervous system and autoimmune diseases.

- check out the AFX report

Developers, geneticists brainstorm diabetes therapies

Tue, 18 Mar 2008 07:59:59 -0400

What do you get when you mix 20 drug developers active in the diabetes field with a room full of geneticists? Hopefully, a new generation of therapies that pinpoint subsets of the disease, each with its own unique genetic thumbprint.

There are 21 million Americans alone who suffer from type 1 or type 2 diabetes. But any clinician will tell you that cases are often remarkably dissimilar. And new research indicates that a person's genetic profile has a lot to do with their disease. MODY, for example, involves six different genetic subtypes that account for two percent of all cases. So far 16 genes have been linked to type 2 and 14 genes have been associated with type 1. Genetics expert Francis Collins like to highlight one gene that is responsible for getting zinc to insulin-producing cells--a prime drug target in diabetes.

Merck's Eric Shadt, meanwhile, says he believes several genes work together as a kind of master switch. One set of obesity genes may work in tandem, offering a red flag in the obese to identify likely diabetics.

- check out the AP report

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FDA mulls tougher standards on diabetes research

Tue, 11 Mar 2008 07:59:59 -0400

The FDA is taking a look at a fresh set of standards that demand new tests to determine if diabetes drugs elevate heart risks. Safety advocates sounded approving after seeing the FDA draft guidance that came out at the end of February. But investors have proven to be less thrilled. In one case, they sent the shares of Amylin down to a 30-month low after determining that the new rules could significantly delay final approval of a new drug.

"It is setting the stage for some harder times for diabetes drugs," says researcher Clifford Rosen. According to Rosen the message to drug companies is clear: "Be careful" to remember that blood sugar alone will not warrant an automatic approval.

- check out the report from Forbes

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Resveratrol shows promise as diabetes treatment

Tue, 09 Oct 2007 06:59:59 -0400

Scientists have unveiled yet another study on the potential of resveratrol. The chemical, which is found in red wine as well as a variety of plants, has been linked with improved sensitivity to insulin in mouse models, adding another possible therapeutic effect for an ingredient already associated with longevity and DNA repair. Resveratrol activates the SIRT1 enzyme, and researchers at the Chinese Academy of Sciences say that could make it a candidate for treating diabetes. Researchers report that SIRT1 levels are reduced in insulin-resistant cells and tissues and that treatments that block the enzyme's function lead to insulin resistance. Furthermore, increased SIRT1 activity improved insulin sensitivity. Similarly, resveratrol--at a dose of just 2.5 mg/kg/day--enhanced insulin sensitivity in cells. That low dose of resveratrol also reduced insulin resistance in animals fed a high-fat diet, the researchers showed.

"We found SIRT1 improves insulin sensitivity, especially under insulin-resistant conditions," said Chinese scientist Qiwei Zhai. "Furthermore, we found that resveratrol, at a very low dose compared with many previous studies, improves insulin sensitivity via SIRT1."

- see the release on the new resveratrol research

ALSO: OK, says a feature in the Los Angeles Times, resveratrol has been garnering headlines as a wonder tonic. But keep in mind that for now, at least, what we know about the chemical may only be relevant to mice. Report

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Enzyme discovery offers new direction in diabetes

Tue, 09 Oct 2007 06:59:59 -0400

A team of Australian scientists has found an enzyme in diabetics that prevents them from producing insulin. The researchers say that they intend to start working with drug developers to block PKCepsilon, raising the possibility of a simple, effective method for treating diabetes. Observers also noted that the advancement could create a therapy that would protect people at high risk from ever developing Type 2 diabetes. In an animal study, the team developed genetically modified mice without the enzyme, and found that they didn't develop diabetes even after gaining a significant amount of weight on a high-fat diet.

- see the release on the discovery
- read the the report from ABC

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New hope for cross-species transplantation

Tue, 24 Jul 2007 06:59:59 -0400

Experiments using genetically-engineered pigs to make them compatible with the human immune system are raising expectations about the prospects of cross-species transplantation as an option for patients with diabetes and other currently incurable diseases. However, many scientific hurdles remain before the ultimate goal of inducing long-term tolerance of animal tissues and organs in human recipients, according to a special paper in the journal Transplantation.

"The potential benefits of successful xenotransplantation to large numbers of patients with very differing clinical conditions remain immense, fully warranting the current efforts being made to work towards its clinical introduction," concludes the article. The lead author is Dr. David Cooper of Thomas E. Starzl Transplantation Institute, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.

- here's the report on the transplantation report

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Genetically modified cows to produce cheap insulin

Mon, 23 Apr 2007 20:01:39 -0400

Scientists working for Bio Sidus in Argentina have developed a genetically modified cow that can produce insulin in its milk. The company says the four cloned calves will start producing the insulin-rich milk when they reach maturity. To clone the cows, scientists insert a human gene into an embryo, which is then implanted in the mother. The insulin is later extracted from the milk. Bio Sidus said that the procedure can be used to develop insulin for 30 percent less than current methods and that 25 of the cows would be enough to provide insulin for all 1.5 million diabetics in Argentina. There are 200 million diabetics worldwide. Bio Sidus is one of a number of companies involved in transgenics.

- read the report on the new insulin manufacturing process from The Standard

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New source on metabolic disorders

Wed, 31 Jan 2007 19:01:38 -0500

Bioengineering researchers at UC San Diego have painstakingly assembled a virtual human metabolic network that will give researchers a new way to hunt for better treatments for hundreds of human metabolic disorders--from diabetes to high levels of cholesterol in the blood. This first-of-its-kind metabolic network builds on the sequencing of the human genome and contains more than 3,300 known human biochemical transformations that have been documented during 50 years of research worldwide. Release

Insulin delivered in tiny carbohydrate shells

Wed, 10 Jan 2007 19:01:39 -0500

Taiwanese researchers have developed a new method for providing insulin to diabetics. Instead of injecting insulin, a standard delivery method, they developed tiny spheres made from shrimp cells that could survive the acid in the stomach and would pass through the small intestine, delivering the insulin into the blood. The process was tested successfully on rats. The research indicates that the current process requires a large amount of insulin. Advocates for diabetics said they would like to see a more efficient delivery approach that would allow patients to switch from injections to a pill.

- here's the report on the research from the BBC

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