New drug for treating diabetes

Beta cells in the pancreas have the crucial task of producing insulin in response to blood sugar levels, but a characteristic of diabetes is that these cells are destroyed or unable to produce enough insulin.

Illustrative image of a new drug therapy successfully tested on mice. Photo: NEW ATLATS

New research restores the function of beta cells by introducing stem cells into new beta cells, which are then transplanted into diabetic patients. This therapy combines two drugs: harmine—a naturally occurring molecule found in certain plants that inhibits an enzyme called DYRK1A in beta cells—and a GLP1 receptor agonist.

Scientists at Mount Sinai and City of Hope hospitals in New York tested this therapy on mouse models of type 1 and type 2 diabetes. First, they implanted a small amount of human beta cells into the mice, then treated them with harmine and a GLP1 receptor agonist. The number of beta cells increased by 700% within three months of treatment. The signs of the disease quickly reversed and remained so even months after treatment stopped. Dr. Adolfo Garcia-Ocaña, a member of the research team, said: "This research offers hope for the future use of regenerative therapies that could potentially treat hundreds of millions of people with diabetes."

LAM DIEN

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/thuoc-moi-chua-tieu-duong-post751807.html