New Horizons In Type 2 Diabetes Research
Two papers published in the journal Cell Metabolism present different approaches to controlling glucose levels in people with Type 2 diabetes — the form of the disease in which the body gradually loses the ability to use insulin to control sugar levels in the blood.
In one, a hormone called apelin, which is produced in fat tissues, was injected intravenously into normal and obese mice, and was found to significantly reduce blood sugar levels.
In another study, researchers used an experimental drug manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline that mimics the behavior of resveratrol, a compound found in red wine and grapes. The artificial resveratrol decreased blood sugar levels and restored insulin levels to normal in diabetic mice.
C. Ronald Kahn, professor at the Harvard Medical School, talks about the two approaches and other work on treating diabetes.
November 7, 2008
Talk of the Nation
# Copyright 2008 NPR
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