Seems a dose of Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) is good for more than just fighting off coughs and colds. According to a report from the BBC, a new study has found that - in theory, at least - Vitamin C could reduce diabetes-related health complications. Vitamin C, said the University of Warwick-based researchers, was almost as effective as Telmisartan, a medication used to lower blood pressure.

Vitamin C packs a punch, they said, because it helps to clean up ("scavenge," in the words of lead researcher Antonio Ceriello) free radicals - molecules that cause tissue damage. This is of particular concern for diabetics because diabetics' bodies produce more free radicals than those of non-diabetics. This is why diabetics are especially likely to suffer from heart disease. It is also why diabetics are prone to tissue and nerve damage in the feet and legs - damage that all-too-often necessitates amputation.

The researchers also reported they were able to normalize free radical levels in patients with Type 1 diabetes using a course of insulin therapy followed by long-term treatment with Vitamin C or Telmisartan. And there's the rub: while Telmisartan is considered okay to take long-term, Vitamin C supplementation could in fact be dangerous if continued over time. Actually, the purpose of this study was not to look into treating diabetics with Vitamin C, but rather to investigate the workings of free radicals and methods for controlling free radical production. Sorry, folks. Things are never that easy.

Scientists have mapped the genes responsible for causing type 2 diabetes. This new research is giving hope to new tests that can predict an individuals risk for developing the disease and future treatments.

The study compared the genetic make-up of 700 people with type 2 diabetes and a family history of the condition, with 700 diabetes-free people. Four points on the gene map linked to a person's diabetes risk and were confirmed with another group of 5,000 type 2 diabetics. The findings of this research could explain up to 70% of the genetics related to developing diabetes. A particular zinc transporter, known as SLC30A8, which regulates insulin secretion, was shown to have a mutation. Researchers feel they may be able to treat some cases of diabetes by correcting this mutation.

These findings will allow for the creation of a genetic test to predict people's risk of developing type 2 diabetes, as well as better treatments for the presiding cause of their diabetes. Nary a day passes that I am not motivated for the future of all diabetics. This is the type of research that strengthens my faith in the coming of a cure. Identify the nature of the problem and nip it in the bud.

Here's some potentially great news for Type 1 diabetics and their families. Well, truth be told, it could be great news for some T1 diabetics, not all. A drug has been devised that comes in tablet form and can be used to combat a particular type of Type 1 diabetes. It's significant because it could have a life-altering impact on those included in this group. Basically, if diagnosed in early infancy, those diabetics could take tablets instead of insulin shots, with all the ouches and hassles that come with it.

Here's how it works: infants diagnosed at under six months of age who experienced a change in the Kir6.2 gene were switched from insulin to sulphonylurea tablets. The success rate was a striking ninety percent. According to a BBC report on the experiments, the tablets target the area affected by the genetic change and help restore insulin secretions to normal. Bottom line? The trials demonstrate the importance of genetics in the development of Type 1 diabetes.

The BBC is running a feature on how new technology is reducing the necessity for using animals in medical experiments. This is very welcome news, if ever I heard it! The feature briefly profiles some scientists who give specific examples of how this has impacted their work.

The scientists include Dr. Phil Stephens of Cardiff University. Dr. Stephens, a cell biologist, is a specialist in the treatment of chronic leg ulcers and diabetic foot ulcers in the elderly. The problem is in getting these very persistent wounds to heal normally. In the past, scientists would have researched possible treatments using animal models in laboratories. However, Dr. Stephens says this is not a very good model for the work anyway and he has been working on an in vitro system instead. Cells are collected from diabetic wounds and are grown in the lab. They are then observed and tested in an effort to determine how they differ from normal, healthy cells.

Here's the really clever part: Dr. Stephens links the diseased genes in the cells to fluorescent reporters, so when a cell expresses a gene, it will light up (see picture) in order to monitor each cell's behavior. Hopefully this will vastly reduce the number of animal experiments, says Dr. Stephens.

Here's a site to add to your list of helpful diabetes-related places to visit on the web: the BBC. I was just checking out the BBC's health site, and it turns out there is a really helpful, colorful and user-friendly section on diabetes. This would be good resource for people with diabetes or those curious to learn more for whatever reason. It would also make a great starting point for anyone who is newly diagnosed.

Among the "Beeb's" features on diabetes are reports on latest technological developments, easy-to-understand explanations of the disease and how it is treated, and tips for maintaining a healthy lifestyle. I also love that they include a section in which diabetics tell their own personal stories. Check this one out!

Diabetics and diabetes campaigners in Britain are crying discrimination following the sacking of a number of workers from their jobs, apparently because of their illness. According to the BBC, among the workers affected are a taxi driver and a cake factor worker. Taxi driver Pat Flynn had her license revoked by her local council when she began giving herself insulin injections on the job. Now back on the job again, after successfully challenging the move, Flynn is quoted as saying that other people's ignorance poses more of a threat to diabetics than the illness itself. Other workers, including ambulance drivers, report their jobs could be put in jeopardy by their condition.