http://www.emaxhealth.com/1020/type-1-diabetes-eliminated-research-could-mean-cure
comments?
This would be amazing if it worked, guess its just a watch this space kind of thing. I’ve been diabetic for 12 years I can’t imagine living without it. I tend not to get my hopes up when I hear of any cures because they usually fall through, but this could be one to keep an eye on, thanks for the post.
Really interesting. Research in many different areas. We can hope!
Ok, so I read the article and I guess I would say that there is a good reason that this reasearch is not going to result in a Nobel prize. The basic suggestion is that if you have T1 diabetes and you destroy your ability to use glucagon, you will be “cured.” This is totally bogus. This is “bad” science. It is logically flawed. The authors believe (falsely) that blood sugar levels rise “only” because glucagon signals the release of blood sugar. Therefore, destroying glucagon means no more blood sugar, voila, type 1 cured. Do you see the “flaw?” Yes, signficant blood sugar comes dietary sources. Besides that, we now know that glucagon plays an important role in controlling blood sugar levels and is the key to a closed loop blood sugar control system.
Below is a picture of the study authors. I don’t know about you, but when I look as old as Dr. Unger, I would want to just take a long cruise.
Seems as if their study design took this into consideration. I have not read the full research but the article I read in a different post states that in mice with no insulin production, if glucagon is suppressed, the mice responded normally to a glucose tolerance test. I have no opinion whether it is bad science or good science as I have not seen the research but dietary influx of glucose was apparently looked at in their research and they still came to the conclusion that in adult mice with no insulin production you can have normoglycemia, even during a GTT, if glucagon is suppressed.
I 100% agree that at that age I can only hope I will be on a beach somewhere…
Maybe the mice peed all the glucose out…
Sounds really far-fetched to me! It doesn’t deal with how the glucose you eat gets into your cells, and how the liver might take up glucose. Mice aren’t humans, and maybe they have other hormones that accomplish those tasks, but in humans, I don’t think there are.
I think this one is suitable for the circular file. And mice have been “cured” many times – mouse cures don’t excite me.
Ummm…if you need insulin to “unlock” cells in order for them to take up the glucose in your bloodstream and use the glucose for cellular energy – and T1 diabetics make no insulin due to beta cell death – then how will the glucose get into your cells?
Even if we exclude muscular cells, brain cells need glucose. Ovarian and testicular (glandular) cells need glucose. Eye and ear cells need glucose. How will the energy get into the cells?
Hello?
Either the authors of the article skipped over something major or else this research makes no sense.
exactly right JeanV!
The body needs insulin to run, otherwise you will end up in DKA. High blood sugar does not causes DKA. Ever.
A lack of insulin causes DKA. Stopping the liver raising you BG will not remove the need for insulin.
The only exception to cells needing insulin to operate is the nerve cells and brain cells, they have built in “transporters” that allow the glucose in your blood to enter the cell without insulin.
I’m with Natalie, I’m sticking this one in the circular file.