Nerve damage is a painful and common problem for people with diabetes. It causes symptoms like pain, numbness, and difficulty moving.
This condition, known as diabetic neuropathy, affects millions of people around the world. One of the main challenges is that damaged nerves in people with diabetes don’t heal well—but until now, scientists didn’t fully understand why.
A research team in Germany may have found the answer. Led by Professor Dr. Dietmar Fischer at the University of Cologne, the scientists discovered a key reason why nerve fibers in diabetes fail to grow back.
Their study, published in the journal Science Translational Medicine, could lead to new treatments that help nerves heal again.
The team used mice with type 1 and type 2 diabetes to study how nerve damage occurs. They found that a protein called p35 builds up in nerve cells in these mice. This protein activates an enzyme that starts a chain reaction, which blocks the nerve fibers from growing again. Because of this, the natural ability of nerves to heal is weakened.
But the scientists didn’t stop there—they also found a way to fix the problem. By targeting the signaling pathway that blocks nerve growth, they were able to restart the healing process.
They did this in two ways: using genetic tools or giving the mice a small, specially designed protein piece called a peptide. After treatment, the nerves in diabetic mice grew back almost as well as in healthy mice. The treated mice also showed better movement and improved sense of touch.
Professor Fischer explained that this is the first time researchers have shown that healing in diabetic nerves can be brought back to normal by blocking this specific pathway. Even when nerve damage had already begun, the treatment helped the nerves heal.
One of the peptides developed by his team worked especially well. It goes directly to the root of the problem and might one day be made into a medicine for people.
Another interesting finding was that nerve healing problems in diabetes begin even before visible signs of nerve damage appear. This means that early treatment might not only help repair nerve damage but could also prevent diabetic neuropathy from starting in the first place.
Now, Professor Fischer and his team are running more studies to see if their discovery can help stop the disease before it fully develops. If their results continue to be positive, this new approach could bring hope to millions of people dealing with diabetic nerve problems—one of the most difficult and currently untreatable complications of diabetes.
If you care about diabetes, please read studies about diabetes and vitamin B12, and the right diet for people with type 2 diabetes.
For more health information, please see recent studies about how to eat smart with diabetes, and turmeric and vitamin D: a duo for blood pressure control in diabetic patients.
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