Scientists succeed in forcing the pancreas of a diabetic to produce insulin
Monash University scientists have discovered a way to restore insulin production in type 1 diabetes by creating new beta cells in the pancreas.
When someone is diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, most of the beta cells of the pancreas that produce insulin are often completely destroyed.
GSK126 inhibits the EZH2 gene responsible for the production of the enzyme of the same name. This enzyme is involved in the regulation of other genes, particularly those associated with the formation of new beta cells. By inhibiting the production of the enzyme with GSK126, the researchers were able to increase the activity of genes that regulate beta-cell formation from pancreatic progenitor stem cells in samples obtained from a deceased 13-year-old girl with type 1 diabetes.
The researchers emphasized that this method is experimental and requires further validation of the results, and that GSK126 is not licensed to treat diabetes. However, if the effectiveness of this approach is confirmed in the future, it would be a breakthrough in developing new treatments for type 1 and type 2 diabetes.
The work has been published in the journal Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy.
