Researchers have described a new method to study biochemical changes in the pancreas during the development of diabetes. Their method is based on molecular spectroscopy and can be used to extract biochemical profiles (or ‘fingerprints’) containing information about disease progression. The method could aid in understanding the molecular and cellular processes that contribute to the development of diabetes. […]
Researchers say a subcutaneous transplant may show promise in helping patients with Type 1 diabetes. In theory, transplanting insulin-producing cells into the body should be an effective type 1, but in practice finding an environment suitable for the cells has proved challenging. The new research uses a tissue engineering approach to create an environment under the skin. Read more
A new study has found that inflammation in the liver can lead to increased cholesterol levels in people with diabetes, contributing to their later development of heart disease. Since cardiovascular problems are a leading cause of death and disability in people with diabetes, the discovery of this previously unknown mechanism could potentially help researchers find […]
Researchers at Yale University say that diet drinks or foods may promote weight gain and trigger diabetes. The brain misreads the number of calories present in the diet food and beverages and reduces metabolism. According to the study, this is due is a ‘mismatch’ between food sweetness and calories. Read more
A recent study set out to assess primary care physicians’ (PCPs) knowledge of risk factors that should prompt prediabetes screening, laboratory criteria for diagnosing prediabetes and guidelines for management of prediabetes. Only 6% of PCPs were able to identify 11 prediabetes risk factors that would prompt them to screen patients under the ADA guidelines. Read […]
A prototype vaccine will soon be ready for a clinical trial in humans, after two decades of research at the University of Tampere in Finland. Researchers have found evidence linking a type of virus called coxsackievirus B1 with an autoimmune reaction that causes the body to destroy its own pancreatic cells. The vaccine, if successful, […]
The University of Pennsylvania study shows diabetes can affect the oral microbiome, potentially causing inflammation, periodontitis and bone loss. The researchers stress the importance of oral hygiene and glycemic control to help counteract these potential effects. Read more
Intestinal bypass surgery is used as a treatment for obesity, but also has the effect of improving or even curing diabetes. Surgeon Francesco Rubino is exploring why the surgery is so effective. It’s not because of weight loss, because the surgery has its effect on diabetes even before the patient loses weight. So what is the mechanism? […]
Risk of pancreatic cancer rises dramatically among patients newly diagnosed with diabetes. Researcher Richard Frank is leading a study to examine the connection, in the hope of detecting pancreatic cancer earlier, when chances of a cure are higher. Read on
The diabetes drug metformin is reputed to have many beneficial effects. Researcher Nir Barzilai, director of the Institute for Aging Research at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx, New York, believes it may be able to help us extend our years of healthy, illness-free life. Read more.
A new “smart” insulin patch may make blood glucose monitoring more accurate and less painful. The patch, worn on the skin, would automatically deliver insulin as needed. It’s under development at The Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering at UNC-Chapel Hill and N.C. State University. Read more
The A1C test is a standard way of diagnosing diabetes, by assessing the average levels of glucose attached to red blood cells. However, various genetic factors can affect the accuracy of the test’s results. Now, a new study in patients with type 1 shows that the tests are likely to overestimate the glucose levels of […]
A new clinical trial has found people with diabetes who received health-related text messages every day for six months showed improvement in their blood glucose levels. The improvement was comparable to that achieved with some diabetes drugs. The trial focused on low-income Hispanics with type 2, and assessed texting as a low-cost intervention that could […]
A new study found the diabetes drug liraglutide performed better than placebo in reducing the risk that patients with prediabetes would progress to type 2 diabetes, when combined with a program of diet, exercise and weight loss. Read more
People with type 2 diabetes are often at increased risk of cardiovascular problems. Researchers have announced that measuring a blood marker called copeptin can successfully predict which patients are at risk, and may be used to prevent heart disease in patients with diabetes. Read more
Researchers have obtained the first cryo-electron microscopy images of a key cellular receptor for diabetes in action. These images provide new information about how G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) work. GPCRs conduct molecular messages for most functions in the human body. Read more
ViaCyte has obtained $10 million in financing to fund the clinical development of its stem cell-derived treatment for type 1 diabetes. The treatment uses stem cell-derived pancreatic cells in an implantable device. The cells are designed to mature into human pancreatic cells, including insulin-secreting beta cells. Read more
A study in Germany found those with lower levels of formal education scored higher in most risk factors for diabetes, including obesity, lack of exercise, and poor diet. Read more
Gene therapy, in which lab-designed genes are inserted into patients to treat their health conditions, often is focused on type 1 diabetes. However, researchers are now reporting an experiment in using gene therapy to treat type 2 diabetes is showing some success. Read more
An islet cell transplant, performed at the University of Miami’s Diabetes Research Institute, is proving successful one year later. The islet cells, which produce insulin, were transplanted into a woman whose type 1 diabetes had been difficult for her to manage. Ideally, this research will help identify a suitable location within the body in which […]