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Diabetes Breakthrough Today
Huge news in diabetes research today, folks. (Thank you to everyone who shot me the heads-up via email). Scientists in Canada have apparently cured mice of Type 1 diabetes by injecting them with capsaicin (the active ingredient in hot chili peppers), and a neuropeptide substance, which seemed to reverse 
the disease.
According to reports, “The team found that abnormal nerve endings in the insulin-producing cells of the pancreas initiated a chain of events that caused Type 1 diabetes in mice. When they removed the nerve cells, the mice did not develop the disorder.”
The reason this news is so big is that it’s a paradigm-changer, folks, i.e. an entirely new way of looking at the diabetes puzzle: diabetes may be a disease of the nervous system, and not simply an autoimmune disease, as traditionally assumed.
Until now, research has primarily focused on the immune system and why it attacks and destroys the insulin-producing islet cells. If this new research from the Toronto Hospital for Sick Children proves sound, it means science has identified a control circuit between islet cells and their related sensory nerves that is the real cause of diabetes, lead researcher Hans Michael Dosch says.
“Disrupting this circuit led to inflammation around the islets and eventually to their destruction. Without these cells, the mice could not make insulin.”
Dosch has immediate plans to start research with humans next month, launching a clinical trial to explore whether patients with high risk of Type 1 diabetes have the same sensory nerve abnormalities as the mice do. Cross your fingers!
I know we’ve heard about researchers “closing in on a cure” for years, but this one really does sound promising.
Explore posts in the same categories: D-News Examined
OOOOOH!!! I officially submit a “YIPPEE”
Posted by: Michael Park | December 15th, 2006 at 1:49 pmI will start eating chili peppers immediately and listening to the band!
It will beat waiting how many years for FDA approval and then the obligatory 9-16 months for it to be approved in Canada….
Wow, exciting! Thanks for the heads up!
Posted by: George | December 15th, 2006 at 1:53 pmThanks for the update! It would be wonderful if they could find the cause. Maybe it would lead to a cure or a prevention. Although before those of us who already have type 1 get too excited, the article in the Toronto Star quotes Dr. Ehud Ur (professor of medicine at Dalhousie University and chair of the clinical and scientific section of the Canadian Diabetes Association) saying, “the team’s findings have no relevance to people who already have Type 1 diabetes.” Let’s hope he’s wrong on that count, and that they find a cure and a prevention at the same time!
Posted by: Anne | December 15th, 2006 at 4:41 pmThanks Amy for posting that!
It is potentially great News*
& as your Readers rightly pointed out - Not a Cure yet but at least a step in the right direction*
I saw a Mother of an 8 year old Type 1 Diabetic on the News at Noon who rightly pointed out too that this will mean more Research in a very promising area*
One key I’ve noticed is that Research is really getting down to the Building Block levels & discovering what is happening at the Cell level.
Ironically while Googling the Toronto article I also came across this Good News as well from New Zealand*
http://www.NZherald.co.nz
Ground-breaking Auckland medical scientist Bob Elliott has devised a revolutionary treatment to prevent Type 1 diabetes.
The experimental treatment has been used only in mice, but it has produced good results. If these continue, trials on people could start within 10 years.
Type 1 diabetes affects about 11,000 New Zealanders. It usually occurs in childhood and leaves sufferers unable to produce insulin - used by the body to process glucose - and needing regular injections of synthetic insulin.
It is an auto-immune disease, in which antibodies form and then kill insulin-producing cells.
The new approach developed by Professor Elliott and his team at Living Cell Technologies involves injecting cells taken from neonatal piglets and coated with a gel to protect them from the human immune system.
This is similar to Living Cell’s technique of injecting coated insulin-producing cells from the pancreases of piglets.
But in the new treatment, the cells secrete protective proteins responsible for the repair and protection of cells.
The cells are from the part of the brain called the choroid plexus. In previous animal trials, Living Cell has shown that they are protective against neurological diseases such as Huntington’s disease.
“This is a completely new approach,” Professor Elliott said yesterday. “We know that these cells can protect the brain against the whole range of noxious toxic events.
“It occurred to me, ‘How about diabetes’, because around each [cluster of insulin-producing cells] is a collection of nerve cells … a bit like a mini-brain. They have the same sort of insulating cells and nerve plexuses that the brain has.
“I knew from other people’s work that that’s the site where the attack starts on insulin-producing cells, in the nerve tissue.
“I thought, ‘Maybe we can protect that and prevent diabetes’. That’s the way it’s panned out in the mouse.”
Work is now being done on perfecting the technique by finding the right dose and the right age at which to administer it.
“The ultimate goal is to detect people likely to get diabetes … and try this preventive measure which works quite nicely in mice.”
Professor Elliott said all children could be tested through a straightforward finger-prick blood test to find those at high risk. They could then be given the treatment.
“I think this is an immensely safe procedure and it’s one that’s certainly worth pursuing.
“People have been desperate to find some new approach [to Type 1 diabetes]. They have been jumping up and down on the same spot for 10 years and not got anywhere.”
Living Cell has applied to the Health Ministry and health authorities in other countries to resume human trials of its insulin-producing pig-cell transplants after a 10-year break.
It says the New Zealand application has some months to go, but the company expects one of its applications will be approved to start early next year.
Professor Elliott halted a pioneering trial using an earlier version of the technology in 1996 because of fears that humans could be infected by pig viruses.
Variations of these animal-to-human cell transplants for diabetes have been performed in Mexico and Russia.
Living Cell wants to run a year-long trial involving eight adult diabetics, injecting into their abdomens more than a billion gel-coated cells from the pancreases of piglets from the company’s herd. The trial would be run from Middlemore Hospital.
The application follows trial transplants into animals with diabetes, which produced no adverse effects, a significant reduction in insulin requirements and freedom from insulin dependence in some cases.
The cells are from the part of the brain called the choroid plexus. In previous animal trials, Living Cell has shown that they are protective against neurological diseases such as Huntington’s disease.
“This is a completely new approach,” Professor Elliott said yesterday. “We know that these cells can protect the brain against the whole range of noxious toxic events.
“It occurred to me, ‘How about diabetes’, because around each [cluster of insulin-producing cells] is a collection of nerve cells … a bit like a mini-brain. They have the same sort of insulating cells and nerve plexuses that the brain has.
“I knew from other people’s work that that’s the site where the attack starts on insulin-producing cells, in the nerve tissue.
“I thought, ‘Maybe we can protect that and prevent diabetes’. That’s the way it’s panned out in the mouse.”
Work is now being done on perfecting the technique by finding the right dose and the right age at which to administer it.
“The ultimate goal is to detect people likely to get diabetes … and try this preventive measure which works quite nicely in mice.”
Professor Elliott said all children could be tested through a straightforward finger-prick blood test to find those at high risk. They could then be given the treatment.
“I think this is an immensely safe procedure and it’s one that’s certainly worth pursuing.
“People have been desperate to find some new approach [to Type 1 diabetes]. They have been jumping up and down on the same spot for 10 years and not got anywhere.”
Living Cell has applied to the Health Ministry and health authorities in other countries to resume human trials of its insulin-producing pig-cell transplants after a 10-year break.
It says the New Zealand application has some months to go, but the company expects one of its applications will be approved to start early next year.
Professor Elliott halted a pioneering trial using an earlier version of the technology in 1996 because of fears that humans could be infected by pig viruses.
Variations of these animal-to-human cell transplants for diabetes have been performed in Mexico and Russia.
Living Cell wants to run a year-long trial involving eight adult diabetics, injecting into their abdomens more than a billion gel-coated cells from the pancreases of piglets from the company’s herd. The trial would be run from Middlemore Hospital.
The application follows trial transplants into animals with diabetes, which produced no adverse effects, a significant reduction in insulin requirements and freedom from insulin dependence in some cases.
*
For me personally I feel Emryonic Stem Research will be Key*
A source of Unlimited Human Islet Cells that won’t be rejected by our Auto-Immune systems*
Posted by: BillyWarhol | December 15th, 2006 at 5:16 pmI’m speechless!
Posted by: Susan M. | December 15th, 2006 at 10:44 pmI got three e-mails about this news yesterday and was “too busy” to read any of them until today. I almost cried when I read this…
Posted by: Manny Hernandez | December 16th, 2006 at 6:29 amThey’re finding out so much exciting stuff about the role of inflammation in conditions which for years seemed un related in any way to inflammatory processes, such as ateriosclerosis.
Safest thing we can do is drink lots of water, do wise stress management, eat well so that our diets combine pleasure principle with high levels nutrition, anti-oxident activity, etc.
And investigate useful anti-inflammatory things like omega threes and spices such as turmeric, while monitoring levels of c-peptide and homocysteine in our blood streams.
Floss teeth and visit your dental hygienist to prevent peri-dontal gum disease, a source of chronic inflammation.
((My dentist says diabetics need to pay extra close attention to gum disease, too.))
(Note, some things like fish oil have excellent anti-inflammatory properties but may interact with blood thinner medication or prolong clotting time in some persons. Run it by your health care provider)
Posted by: AK | December 16th, 2006 at 7:07 amThe Dr. who did the study noted similarties between MS and diabetes.
I note another similarity. Marijuana seems to help both.
http://powerandcontrol.blogspot.com/2006/12/connection.html
As I say in my piece. “Smoke ‘em if you’ve got ‘em”.
Posted by: M. Simon | December 17th, 2006 at 6:14 pmAlso note marijuana is an anti-inflamitory, sometimes suggested to prevent brain swelling after head trauma.
Posted by: M. Simon | December 17th, 2006 at 6:22 pmThis study further supports the theory of mind-body connection (neuro-endocrine-immune interactions) in health and disease.
Posted by: docwrite | December 17th, 2006 at 7:33 pmThe public is going to be careful to officially claim any “cure” for diabetes or anything else - because if diabetes were cured, think of all the money that doctors, drug companies, and diabetic suppliers would lose out on? You can connect the dots, and the picture you’ll end up with will be The Stock Market.
There’s no need to wait around for a news report or a doctor or a new FDA-approved money-making scam to give you a (possible) cure. There are millions of cures already, depending on your type of diabetes and your individual system. The idea of injecting anything seems a little crazy to me - stick to just eating the chili peppers, cayenne, garlic, anything naturally anti-inflammatory. I also personally recommend Goji Juice as an ultimate cure for everything. And most importantly, just eat right. Most diabetics got their diabetes from eating too much junk, others got it from certain types of medications (yes, medications can and have actually CAUSE(D) diabetes), or maybe a combination of both. So, watch everything that you put into your body. The pancreas and every other organ in the body was designed to function properly - there was a reason why it stopped, something made it stop. The cure for diabetes (and any other disease) is reversing whatever that something was that made things stop functioning properly.
No need to wait another decade for a cure to possibly arise, when you could cure yourself within a couple of months or less.
Good luck, and God bless…
Posted by: c. | December 17th, 2006 at 8:01 pmThanks for the feedback, everybody. Nice little ray of holiday hope for us, ay?
Hey Billy, please don’t post entire articles in the comments section here — can you pls post the URL link instead? Thx!
Posted by: AmyT | December 18th, 2006 at 11:09 amHey Docwrite…We are talking about Type 1 diabetes here. This is the severe autoimmune form of diabetes that is not preventable and not lifestyle related.
A Type 1 diabetic can drink all the Gogi juice they want, but they will still need to replace the insulin they no longer make.
There have been all kinds of snake oil cures for T1 and guess what? None of them work!
While I think anti-inflammatories are key elements in autoimmune diseases, they are not the only factor.
The only cure for established autoimmune diabetes is going to come from a lab or proven study. Sorry.
Posted by: Sarah | December 19th, 2006 at 11:31 pmJust wanted to second AmyT’s comments. Nothing bugs me more than people who tell me to stop eating refined flour and drink Ayurvedic herb concoctions to cure my type 1 diabetes!!
Also, eating the peppers isn’t going to get any capsaicin to your pancreas. The capsaicin needs to be injected directly into the pancreatic artery or some such thing. I read the original study published in the journal cell…and while I’m no doctor, it certainly sounds very promising.
Posted by: John Galt | December 23rd, 2006 at 9:42 pm
~ Best news out there ~ for a ecently diag.9yr old son MAYBE WE WILL GET TO SEE THAT DAY .. ThankGod.
Posted by: Dawn | January 28th, 2007 at 8:59 pmThere are several flaws with the logic of this article. The first flaw is that he didn’t cure anything, he treated the diabetes. He said that the mice were normoglyemic for several years, but then what? Is there need another dose of the anti-inflammatory? Thats still treatment, not a cure. Second, the treatment assumes that the beta cells in the islets are not destroyed already! The article provides no information regarding at what point during the pathogenesis of the type I diabetes in humans do the beta cells get destroyed. The anti-inflammatory strategy does not promise any neogenesis of the islet cells. Therefore, if the cells are already destroyed, no amount of anti-inflammatory treatment could bring about a cure for diabetes. Nice try Doctor Dosch, you may now join the hall of fame for false promises of a cure for diabetes.
Posted by: Darren | June 4th, 2007 at 3:02 pmThis is in response to the following comments:
“A Type 1 diabetic can drink all the Gogi juice they want, but they will still need to replace the insulin they no longer make.
There have been all kinds of snake oil cures for T1 and guess what? None of them work!
The only cure for established autoimmune diabetes is going to come from a lab or proven study. Sorry.”
No ‘cure’ will EVER come from a lab. The BODY cures. (However, that doesn’t change the implications of this study.) Type 1 diabetes is due to cellular miscommunication (as proven by the study), dehydration, and imbalanced/malabsorbed mineral intake. Goji juice IS very beneficial for Type 1 diabetes. PROPERLY PREPARED herbal blends ARE more beneficial than most, if not all, drugs on the market (for diabetes). A friend of mine has helped people (personally) ‘cure’ themselves of Type 1 diabetes through VERY simple (though not ‘easy’) diet and lifestyle changes.
“Nothing bugs me more than people who tell me to stop eating refined flour and drink Ayurvedic herb concoctions to cure my type 1 diabetes!!”
If you’re eating processed fats & carbs (high glycemic (LOAD) foods and trans fats) then you should NOT be complaining about your diabetic problems. True, Type 1 is VERY hard to turn around, but it can be done. As long as the organ (pancreas) is there, and you are alive, therein lies a way for you to possibly recover it, but it will never be with drugs. It requires eating VERY healthy foods consistently, in sufficient quantity, and at the right times; NO junk. Hydration is KEY too. (Hint- not all waters are the same. Coffee and diuretics should be avoided.) Yes, drugs (insulin) may be called for in the beginning. But they/it can eventually be eliminated.
Posted by: Rob | September 26th, 2007 at 8:59 amNote though that I do understand how difficult it is for people who do not have the condition to critize those who do as though it’s just a simple change. Stopping sodas and refined pastas and such is a GOOD START, but unless the nutrition, hydration, and (short, brief interval) exercise is there, HEALING is not going to take place. The changes above only stopped (or slowed) the DAMAGE. You have still got to REPAIR it.
“A friend of mine has helped people (personally) ‘cure’ themselves of Type 1 diabetes through VERY simple (though not ‘easy’) diet and lifestyle changes.”
“If you’re eating processed fats & carbs (high glycemic (LOAD) foods and trans fats) then you should NOT be complaining about your diabetic problems. True, Type 1 is VERY hard to turn around, but it can be done.”
You can bet on upsetting a lot of people with statements like that around here Rob.
Posted by: Albert | December 11th, 2007 at 1:34 pm