One Step Closer to New Diabetes Treatment
2009-Nov-25
By
-- Robert Preidt
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 25 (HealthDay News) -- Mitochondrial damage causes people with type 2 diabetes to lose insulin-producing cells, a finding that could lead to new treatments, U.S. researchers say.
Mitochondria provide energy for cellular activity.
The researchers found that when insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas can't respond to circulating insulin, it triggers a "molecular cascade" that damages the normal action of a certain molecular receptor on the surface of the mitochondria. The damaged mitochondria then begin to destroy adenosine triphosphate, the prime fuel for cellular activity. As a result, the beta cells die.
The study was published online Nov. 24 in the journal PLoS One.
"Mitochondrial function is a very fundamental aspect of how beta cells produce insulin, and this research shows its direct relation with insulin signaling," study co-author Dr. E. Dale Abel, chief of the endocrinology and metabolism division at the University of Utah School of Medicine in Salt Lake City, said in a news release from the Joslin Diabetes Center.
The researchers plan to look for proteins that may offer potential targets for drug treatment to prevent this kind of beta cell death.
More information
The U.S. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases has more about diabetes.
HealthDay News
Copyright © 2009 ScoutNews, LLC. All rights reserved.
The information in this article, including reference materials, are provided to you solely for educational or research purposes. Information in reference materials, are not and should not be considered professional health care advice upon which you should rely. Health care information changes rapidly and consequently, information in this article may be out of date. Questions about personal health should always be referred to a physician or other health care professional.
Please be aware that this information is provided to supplement the care provided by your physician. It is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
