An international team of scientists, led from Karolinska
Institutet in Sweden, have discovered an entirely new approach to the treatment
of type II diabetes. The therapy involves the blockade of signalling by a
protein known as VEGF-B and this prevents fat from accumulating in the 'wrong'
places, such as in muscles and in the heart. As a result the cells within these
tissues are once again able to respond to insulin.
In experiments on mice and rats, the scientists have managed
to both prevent the development of type II diabetes and reverse the progression
of established disease. The study is published in the prestigious scientific
journal Nature, where it is described as a breakthrough in diabetes research.
The findings are the result of a joint effort by Karolinska Institutet, the
Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research and the Australian biopharmaceutical
company CSL Limited, amongst others.
journal reference (only the abstract is free): nature >>