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BREAKTHROUGH DIABETES STUDY COULD LEAD TO END OF REGULAR INSULIN INJECTIONS,
RESEARCHERS SAY

Posted Yesterday at 2:02amTue 2 Jan 2024 at 2:02am, updated Yesterday at
4:04amTue 2 Jan 2024 at 4:04am
Watch
Duration: 1 minute 24 seconds1m 24s

Researchers from Melbourne have discovered that a drug used to treat rare
cancers can help to restore insulin production in diabetics, although further
trials will be needed.


QUICK READ

 * In short: Researchers from the Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute say they
   have discovered a potential new treatment for type 1 diabetes.
 * The treatment using existing cancer drugs could eventually replace the need
   for regular insulin injections.
 * What's next? The next phase of the research would involve pre-clinical trials
   on animals.

Researchers say they have made a breakthrough in the treatment of type 1
diabetes which could replace the need for regular insulin injections.

Research published by Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute scientists shows they
have manipulated existing pancreatic stem cells to prompt them to produce
insulin.

The study from the Melbourne researchers builds on previous work by Monash
University scientists, using two existing cancer drugs. 

The research is still in its early days and the next step will be pre-clinical
animal trials.

But lead researcher and Baker institute scientist, Sam El-Osta, said the
potential treatment could be viable for children and adults in the future.

"What we've discovered is the ability to harness the patient's remaining
pancreatic cells to influence those cells to behave like insulin-producing beta
cells," Professor El-Osta told ABC Radio Melbourne.

"This could potentially modify the course of diabetes and potentially eliminate
the need for round-the-clock insulin injections in some people living with type
1 diabetes."

Researchers say the breakthrough could lead to an alternative treatment to
regular insulin injections.(ABC Tropical North: Sophie Meixner)

Broadly, people with diabetes do not naturally produce enough insulin, or their
bodies do not use the hormone as they should.

For many people with diabetes, it means multiple insulin injections are required
daily to manage the illness.


RESEARCH COULD BE 'HOLY GRAIL'

The two cancer drugs used in the research are already approved by the US Food
and Drug Administration.

Researchers said the potential treatment could be "rapid" compared to current
treatment options for type 1 diabetes.

"We've been able to repurpose these drugs to determine whether we could
influence the trajectory by using these small molecule inhibitors in pancreatic
ductal cells," Professor El-Osta said.

"We can quickly influence insulin restoration in a number of days in a dish from
tissues derived from type 1 diabetes donors, both children and adults."

Diabetes Australia estimates around 134,000 people in Australia are living with
type 1 diabetes, which represents about 10 per cent of all diabetes cases.

The Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute researchers are optimistic their work
could potentially help people living with insulin-dependent type 2 diabetes.

The research has been published in a Nature scientific journal, Signal
Transduction and Targeted Therapy.

It's estimated more than 130,000 people in Australia are living with type 1
diabetes.(ABC Local: Damien Larkins)

Chief executive of the Australian Diabetes Society and University of Melbourne
associate professor, Sof Andrikopoulos, labelled the research as "remarkable". 

"For the 135,000 Australians with type 1 diabetes, this is the holy grail. This
is it," he said. 

"There's a potential here that this research might lead to the cure of type 1
diabetes, at some point down the road.

"It also has the potential to make a significant improvement in type 2
diabetes."

Dr Andrikopoulos, who was not involved with the study, said the research would
reduce the burden of the disease.

"This research has the potential for the body itself, to produce and secrete
insulin. So you can see that you're getting rid of needles, you're getting rid
of insulin pumps, you're getting rid of finger pricking, you're getting rid of
continuous glucose monitors," he said.

While he was hopeful for the future, Dr Andrikopoulos warned steps towards a
cure would require consistent funding for diabetes research.


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