New research reveals that faulty nerves in the pancreas may be one of the causes of type I diabetes, a condition where the immune system mistakenly attacks islets. Substance P was found to be responsible for healthy function and protection of islets.
Toronto researchers injected substance P into diabetic mice to reverse new onset diabetes. Sernova Corp is leading research into reversing insulin dependent diabetes by implanting a small device containing insulin producing islets to reverse diabetes, and Sertoli cells to naturally protect the islets from the body's immune system.
There is no point in scaring you like a virgin on prom night by telling you where the Sertoli cells derive. Where they're taking us along the path to cure type 1 diabetes is of greatest importance.
1. >>Sertoli cells
Yes, lovely derivation. Hey, whatever does the job, right?
This research is certainly exciting, and it is gratifying to finally see some seriously out-of-the-box research being done. It will be interesting to see what traction this gets, in terms of resources and funding, since it flies in the face of the 'conventional' view of diabetes research. Such findings have a sad history in the annuls of science, as the embedded and well-funded research organizations do not easily admit they have been spinning their wheels and wasting research dollars in the wrong area. They see it as an attack on their credibility (as well they should.) For a prime example of what I am expressing, take a look at what Dr. Barry Marshall went through regarding the discovery of Helicobacter pylori and its role in stomach ulcers, before his research was generally accepted. Yeah, mea culpa, medical community.
We would like to think that medical research is driven purely by an altruistic desire to solve problems and provide cures, but politics and the need for continuous funding continue to drive an awful lot of it. Let's hope, for all our sakes, that this current finding is embraced by researchers and their funding wholeheartedly until it either is determined to have no value for human diabetes, or leads to a cure for diabetes.
Posted at 12:49PM on Jan 1st 2007 by TechRightGuy