UAB study: Common blood pressure drug eradicates diabetes in mice
By Wade KwonHuman trials to begin in 2015
Video: WIAT-42 report on UAB’s diabetes research
UAB scientists announced Thursday a breakthrough in the fight against one of America’s deadliest diseases.
After more than a decade of research, the Comprehensive Diabetes Center has found that hypertension medication verapamil reverses the onset of diabetes in mice. UAB will begin human trials in 2015.
Dr. Anath Shalev, the center’s director, said in a UAB report, “We have previously shown that verapamil can prevent diabetes and even reverse the disease in mouse models and reduce TXNIP in human islet beta cells, suggesting that it may have beneficial effects in humans as well.”
Dr. Anath Shalev
Beta cells in the pancreas produce insulin to control blood sugar. When blood sugar levels increase, so does production of the protein TXNIP which kills beta cells, thwarts insulin production and fosters the progression of diabetes.
UAB’s research has found that verapamil lowers TXNIP levels in mice, eradicating diabetes in the process.
The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation has given a 3-year, $2.1 million grant to UAB for human trials.
Video: How verapamil saves pancreatic beta cells and
cures diabetes in mice
Sunday, November 23, 2014, 12:49 am
[…] enough, the more research or “research” UAB conducts on obesity (such as this recent success in diabetes), the more money it pulls in which funds my hometown. Go […]