A Cure for Diabetes???
Marilyn Porter, RD, CDE
Usually I am a skeptic when it comes to new ideas, inventions,
remedies, financial schemes, and the like, especially outlandish
or unconventional ones. I
am, however, a risk taker once I have satisfied my own mind that
the risk is worth taking. So…a cure for diabetes?
Well, the research initiated in Michigan by Drs. Vinik and
Rosenberg, in my opinion is exciting, promising, and a worthwhile
risk. In fact, I may
decide to invest my hard earned cash in the financial partner, Proctor
and Gamble. Perhaps it’s wishful thinking, but INGAP may be the key to
unlocking a diabetes cure.
What could be better than regenerating islets from one’s
own pancreas? …no rejection, immunotherapy, or toxicity.
I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop.
I understand how this could be a breakthrough
for persons with type 1 diabetes, and even for those with type 2
who are producing insufficient insulin and use exogenous insulin
for control. But I
am wondering about individuals diagnosed with type 2 diabetes who
have insulin resistance and who have too much insulin, prior to
the decline of insulin production.
At this stage, blood glucose levels may indicate “pre-diabetes”. Might individuals in this group be treated by INGAP, and will
it provide the regulatory mechanism for the islets to produce adequate
amounts of insulin, not too little, or too much?
Will those with pre-diabetes need to become diagnosed with
diabetes using insulin injections as part of their diabetes management
before initiating the INGAP treatment?
Will it necessitate absolute insulin deficiency for INGAP
efficacy? Hopefully
not, as complications may be well underway by that time.
It does appear, as stated in Part 2 of the series, that the
INGAP Peptide possibly had “a biological effect that went beyond
just making insulin” so perhaps this is not an issue.
Along those same lines of questioning, however,
when gluconeogenesis occurs, will INGAP eliminate that glucose release
and correct the insulin signaling or will the overproduction of
glucose not occur with sufficient insulin in the first place?
This leads me to another question…For people who have lost
their first phase insulin response postprandially, will this “cure”
correct the timing of the insulin release?
Post-prandial hyperglycemia is often one of the first indications
of inappropriate blood glucose levels.
My last questions relate to the drug induced
state of diabetes and age of the person with diabetes.
Is reversing this type of diabetes the same as reversing
naturally occurring diabetes, and is there a difference in treatment
for children versus adults?
The article states in
an ideal answer for a cure “There would be sufficient insulin production
to combat the diabetes as well as the insulin resistance.
Insulin secretion would be regulated.
The effect would persist beyond the treatment period…(the
treatment) would not be associated with any toxicity…and target
only the adult pancreatic stem cells”.
If INGAP proves to accomplish all this, which will more than
satisfy my questions, I am jumping on the bandwagon.
For now, I am anxious to learn
more and acquire a better understanding. I certainly am looking forward to more updates, and by the
way, one more question… where can I put my money down on this research?
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