Ah, the pancreas. That organ behind the stomach that’s always been the target of angst and anger for us PWDs (people with diabetes). We bemoan why it went on permanent vacation and daydream about kick-starting it…
But all of our complaining might be for naught. Turns out there might be an even bigger, badder enemy of healthy blood sugars: the thymus!
… the who??
Let me tell you a little about this other gland:
The…
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Participating in a marathon is a pretty amazing feat for anyone, but five people taking part in the 26.2-mile Bank of America Chicago Marathon on Oct. 7 share something that makes this amazing feat extra special: all of them were formerly dependent on insulin, but have had an islet cell transplant and are now living their lives diabetes-free!
Islet cell transplantation is what connects the five together as members of the athletic team Cellmates On The…
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A patient’s relationship with their endocrinologist is… well, complicated. On one hand, endos spend years in school, learning all the intricate biomechanisms that make the body work, but on the other hand, they often sit behind a desk, doling out advice to patients who may have been living with a disease for longer than they’ve been familiar with it. Sometimes it can even feel like an endocrinologist is just reading out of a textbook.
Well,…
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By
AmyT on
January 17, 2012
In the area of beta cell preservation, there’s a (sort of) new name in the spotlight: Andromeda Biotech, Ltd. with its DiaPep277 treatment. Based in Israel, this company announced last month that phase III clinical trials showed significant preservation of C-peptide levels, a marker for assessing insulin secretion by pancreatic cells. Andromeda joins the ranks of companies like Tolerx and Macrogenics/Lilly, who’ve been vocal about their work to preserve beta cell functioning in newly diagnosed patients…
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