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| Science & Technology |
| Diabetes breakthrough |
| 2006-12-16 |
| Toronto scientists cure disease in mice In a discovery that has stunned even those behind it, scientists at a Toronto hospital say they have proof the body's nervous system helps trigger diabetes, opening the door to a potential near-cure of the disease that affects millions of Canadians. Diabetic mice became healthy virtually overnight after researchers injected a substance to counteract the effect of malfunctioning pain neurons in the pancreas. "I couldn't believe it," said Dr. Michael Salter, a pain expert at the Hospital for Sick Children and one of the scientists. "Mice with diabetes suddenly didn't have diabetes any more." The researchers caution they have yet to confirm their findings in people, but say they expect results from human studies within a year or so. Any treatment that may emerge to help at least some patients would likely be years away from hitting the market. But the excitement of the team from Sick Kids, whose work is being published today in the journal Cell, is almost palpable. "I've never seen anything like it," said Dr. Hans Michael Dosch, an immunologist at the hospital and a leader of the studies. "In my career, this is unique." |
| Posted by:.com |
| #15 good reason for the SoCal diet: Machaca burritos in the AM, cheese enchiladas/taco salad at lunch, and a #4 Combo plate from Los Nachos Taco Shop™ in Santee in the evening...you'll be regular, and happy with all the endorphins |
| Posted by: Frank G 2006-12-16 23:37 |
| #14 And your teeth dissolved down to nubs anyway. |
| Posted by: gorb 2006-12-16 22:09 |
| #13 There are certain Central American peppers so hot that you do not need to brush your teeth after eating them. All the bacteria in your mouth are dead already. |
| Posted by: Zenster 2006-12-16 21:02 |
| #12 DB sounds like my kinda' guy then! I love the hot stuff. Some has put me over the edge though....feel sorry for all those lil' bacterium in my digestive tract, lol! |
| Posted by: BA 2006-12-16 20:44 |
| #11 LOL! |
| Posted by: RD 2006-12-16 19:57 |
| #10 Hell I got some stuff in a tiny little pimento jar from DB than can reverse time as we know it. Sounds like those Guatemalan insanity peppers, the "merciless peppers of Quetzlzacatenango, grown deep in the jungle primeval by the inmates of a Guatemalan insane asylum". And that whole time reversal thingy is just how you wish you could go back in time and not eat those peppers come morning. |
| Posted by: Zenster 2006-12-16 18:38 |
| #9 Does this mean eating chili peppers and laying off the carbs will reverse our obesity and health care crisis? Hell I got some stuff in a tiny little pimento jar from DB than can reverse time as we know it. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2006-12-16 16:50 |
| #8 each cortisone injection creates a spike in blood sugar He was probably on the edge already, and this may have just caused it to be revealed a little sooner than otherwise. |
| Posted by: gorb 2006-12-16 16:03 |
| #7 Capsaicin is in arthritis creams to reduce inflammation locally. The inflammatory response is accredited for other stress-induced auto-immune diseases as well as heart disease and arterial plaque formation, and even gum disease. My Mom took cortisone for her arthritis, before her diabetes diagnosis and heart attack. Cortisone is also a standard treatment for inflammation and used to treat other auto-immune diseases. I think it is the inflammation at the core of the problem. Does this mean eating chili peppers and laying off the carbs will reverse our obesity and health care crisis? This is really interesting. Maybe raising chili peppers will give our southern friends a new incentive to stay with families and improve their own homelands. I'm having Mexican tonight! |
| Posted by: Danielle 2006-12-16 13:23 |
| #6 I have a friend in ill health, he's developed diabetes AFTER taking cortisone, each cortisone injection creates a spike in blood sugar. Interesting, no? |
| Posted by: Redneck Jim 2006-12-16 08:55 |
| #5 Don't get overoptimistic. The history of biomedical research is full of "breakthroughs" that came to nothing (except to yield the researchers some serious grant money). |
| Posted by: gromgoru 2006-12-16 06:21 |
| #4 Interesting how they managed to cure it overnight but quickly developed a treatment that will require constant maintenance. Good news in either case though. |
| Posted by: AzCat 2006-12-16 04:31 |
| #3 I've been there for about 20. I'm ready too. Still makes me queasy, though! I wonder if they'd give me a general first. |
| Posted by: gorb 2006-12-16 03:56 |
| #2 Gorb: as a type-1 diabetic for 30 years, I'd say yes - I'm ready!! |
| Posted by: Scooter McGruder 2006-12-16 03:28 |
| #1 Everyone ready to go down and get your pancreas shots? :-) |
| Posted by: gorb 2006-12-16 01:52 |