• News
  • Articles
  • Videos
  • Blogs
  • Symptoms
  • Complications
  • Treatment
  • Type 1
  • Type 2
  • Recipes

Could The Platypus be the Answer to Type 2 Diabetes Treatment?

By Adam Luchay, Nov 29, 2016
hormonegrowthreceptor.jpg

The platypus may be a strange-looking species, but new research suggests that these little guys might help pave the way for a new type 2 diabetes treatment

According to a new study published in the Nature journal Scientific Reports, a hormone found in the platypus' - and his cousin the echidna's - venom could help regulate blood glucose.

An Evolutionary Advantage

Humans, platypuses, and echidnas all produce a hormone in their gut that helps to stimulate insulin release and lower blood glucose. However, the humans and the monotremes have one crucial difference; while the hormone (known as GLP-1) breaks down within minutes in the human body, monotromes' GLP-1 hormone is resilient and longer lasting.

Researchers from the University of Adelaide and Flinders University in South Australia have discovered that the platypus actually produces GLP-1 in two parts of their bodies – in their guts, and in their venom.

"The function in venom has most likely triggered the evolution of a stable form of GLP-1 in monotremes,” said Professor Briony Forbes from Flinders University's School of Medicine. “Excitingly, stable GLP-1 molecules are highly desirable as potential type 2 diabetes treatments."

Possible Treatment

In people with type 2 diabetes, the GLP-1 that is naturally produced does not stimulate a great enough trigger to release enough insulin to lower blood sugars. In fact, much of the medications prescribed to type 2 diabetics included a longer-lasting version of the hormone, ensuring that the body releases sufficient insulin.

The results of this study optimistically point to the possibility of stronger, longer-lasting hormones occurring naturally in the body. Of course, there's first the matter of finding out how to do it. As co-author Frank Grutzner from the University of Adelaide said:

"These findings have the potential to inform diabetes treatment, one of our greatest health challenges, although exactly how we can convert this finding into a treatment will need to be the subject of future research."

 

Navigation

  • Blogs

Company Information

Legal Statement | Privacy Policy | Contact

©2016 InformationAboutDiabetes.com. All rights reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and our Privacy Policy. The material on this site is for informational purposes only, and is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment provided by a qualified health care provider.