New Hope For Type I Diabetes!

Diabetes is the term used to describe the condition in which the body is not able to produce enough or absorb the protein insulin.

Type 1 Diabetes, also known as Juvenile Diabetes is first diagnosed in children and young adults. Treatment for Type 1 Diabetes consists of diet, exercise, the monitoring of blood sugar and insulin injections.

Now there is hope that insulin injections just might be a thing of the past.

Adi Mor, a student at Tel Aviv University's Department of Neuro-biochemistry, has developed what could be the first tablet-based treatment for children and adults with Type 1 diabetes. Early results show that the compound is effective in restoring insulin production in animal models — which could spell an end to the daily needle injections endured by diabetics.

Found in 30% of all human cancer tumors, the Ras protein literally "drives cells crazy," says Prof. Yoel Kloog, the dean of the Faculty of Life Sciences at Tel Aviv University. Prof. Kloog was the first in the world to develop an effective anti-Ras drug against pancreatic cancer, currently in clinical trials. Now, new research published in the June issue of the European Journal of Pharmacology shows that the drug might be able to slow the progression of diabetes as well.

Prof. Kloog's student Adi Mor modified Prof. Kloog's anti-Ras FTS compound to develop the new product.

"Our anti-Ras compound has shown very positive results in inhibiting diabetes," says Mor. And given the drug's history — FTS has already passed toxicity studies for other diseases and disorders — it has the potential to fast-track through FDA regulatory hurdles, skipping straight to Phase II clinical trials. A new drug for diabetes could be ready in as little as five years' time.

In her recent study, Mor treated pre-diabetic mice for six months. One group was given FTS, another was given no drug at all. The outcome was dramatic. Only 16% of the treated group developed diabetes, while 82% of the untreated group became diabetic. Also, insulin production from beta cells in the treated group of mice increased in comparison to insulin production in the non-treated group, she reports.

"Diabetes is my main concern," Mor concludes, adding that "so many children and adults continue to suffer from the disorder. Since the FTS molecule is very easily absorbed into the blood, it could be the first diabetes treatment in pill form to moderate insulin production in juvenile diabetes, slowing down the progression of the disease. It could help a lot of people.

Read the full story here.

I really should start a count on how many medical inventions Israelis have made this year alone. Not to mention the other non-medical inventions and advancements they have achieved.

Juvenile Diabetes was once a death sentence for children, then came the discovery of insulin, now this. I wonder how long it will be before an actual cure will be discovered. And I have a sneaky suspicion it just might be discovered by an Israeli. Like her:

Adi Mor