Suffering succotash - do you believe the nerve of these scientists professing the antithesis of insulin-dependent diabetes!! Scientist have proven that supplementation of Gymnema sylvestre appears to enhance endogenous insulin production by regeneration of the residual beta cells in insulin-dependent diabetes. Wouldn't this study imply that insulin-dependent diabetes is curable??

GS4, a water-soluble extract of the leaves of Gymnema sylvestre, was given to 27 patients with insulin-dependent diabetes on insulin therapy. They received 400 mg per day. Their insulin requirements came down together, along with their fasting blood glucose, HbA1c and glycosylated plasma protein levels. Patients in the study receiving insulin therapy only (without Gymnema sylvestre supplementation) showed no significant reduction in serum lipids, HbA1c or glycosylated plasma proteins when followed up after 10-12 months.

There you have it, folks. A study published in the Journal of Ethnopharmacologyin October 1990 says - there are possible ways to regenerate beta cells in insulin-dependent diabetics, previously believed to be nonexistent and gone forever. Never say never, right Dr. Faustman?

The world famous biochemist, Bernard R. Landau, whose medical research proved invaluable to understanding diabetes, has died in Cleveland at the age of 80.

Dr. Landau focused his research on how the human body processes glucose. By focusing his research on how the liver stores glucose as glycogen, he proved vital in later research of some types of diabetes. In certain diabetes types, complications arise after the body ceases processing glycogen. The former Nobel fellow at Sweden's Karolinska Institute also worked with other scientists in finding out exactly how glucose is broken down inside the body. In the late '50s, Dr. Landau and others investigated how tissues process glucose, especially in the liver, where it is stored as glycogen. He developed methods to follow and measure this metabolism by using radioactive tracers that were infused into bodily tissue. In some types of diabetes, the processing of glycogen is disrupted, leading to further complications.

Bernard Robert Landau was born in Newark. He graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology before receiving his doctorate in organic chemistry from Harvard in 1950. He later received a medical degree, also from Harvard. He is survived by his two sons, Steven and Rodger, and five grandchildren. Thank you for all you have contributed to the scientific community, Dr. Landau.

One of the many shining stars of dLife, and a father of a type 1 diabetic, Tom Karlya, shares his reflections on 2006 through a satirical piece where he personifies 2006 and pays respect to the accomplishments of the diabetic community.

Reflections include the Team Type 1 fundraising event. The mission of Team Type 1 is to increase the general public's awareness of diabetes as a disease that can be managed effectively - allowing those with this condition to continue active, healthy lives and permitting them to perform well in athletic events. Another monumental accomplishment this year was a DVD created for the Public Health Foundation. The DVD addresses a topic most people consider unspeakable. You have to watch the video teaser online to get the picture. Last but certainly not least, Tom mentions the controversial but promising cure research of Dr. Denise Faustman.

Tom makes a great point when he says, "Same actions will never yield different results. .. Show me something that was not a biomedical finding funded by private industry." Take a minute to indulge in the victorious ending of 2006. Ring in the New Year with an optimistic smile of what's to come in the days ahead.