Scientists from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center reported a breakthrough finding that could yield benefits for patients with diabetes.
The research is published in Nature and was conducted by Barbara B. Kahn et al.
About 422 million people worldwide have diabetes, and 1.5 million deaths are directly attributed to diabetes each year, according to the World Health Organization.
Type 1 diabetes is a chronic condition in which the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas have been damaged and no longer produce insulin; Type 2 diabetes occurs when the body becomes resistant, or insensitive, to insulin.
Both versions of the disease result in elevated levels of blood glucose—or blood sugar—which can lead over time to serious damage to the heart, blood vessels, eyes, kidneys and nerves if uncontrolled by treatment.
In the study, the team identified a key enzyme in the synthesis of a new class of lipids (or fats), called FAHFAs, that are made in human tissues.
FAHFAs have beneficial effects on insulin sensitivity, blood sugar control and other metabolic-related parameters in humans and mice.
The discovery opens the door to potential new treatments for types 1 and 2 diabetes.
The team found that these FAHFA lipids protect beta cells from immune attack and metabolic stress. If scientists could increase FAHFA levels, this could be beneficial for both type 1 and type 2 diabetes.
The discovery could ultimately pave the road to new treatment strategies for people with diabetes.
Ideally, the new findings might be used to boost the levels of FAHFAs in people at risk for type 2 diabetes to prevent it, or to improve blood glucose control in people who already have type 2 diabetes.
Additionally, these new findings might be used to increase FAHFA levels in people at risk for type 1 diabetes to prevent it.
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