The first drug in the world has appeared that can eliminate type 2 diabetes

Although it is commonly believed that type 2 diabetes is influenced by human genes, scientists suggest that its development is largely associated with poor nutrition and overweight for long periods of time, especially in old age. The pancreas either fails to produce enough insulin, or the body cells simply do not react to it, which leads to a dangerously high level of sugar in the blood.

The breakthrough of American scientists

This condition is known as insulin resistance, and currently there are no medical methods for its treatment. However, a new drug, developed by a group of scientists from the University of California, can be a real breakthrough in this matter.

As reported by the journal New Scientist, the daily dose of the drug given to mice with insulin resistance, could save them from this condition. This is the first case in the world when any drug could effectively "cure" the second type of diabetes mellitus.

What causes insulin resistance

A team of researchers suggested that a specific enzyme known as LMPTP (low molecular weight protein tyrosine phosphatase) was responsible for providing insulin resistance. It can be found in the liver, and, apparently, it interacts with the cells in such a way that they become resistant to the presence of insulin.

Using a new drug that was specifically designed to inhibit the development of LMPTP, the scientists assumed that this would allow the insulin receptor cells to "learn" to react again to insulin, as usual. To their satisfaction, they found that they were right.

"Our results show that LMPTP is a key cause of insulin resistance, and that inhibitors of this particular enzyme would be useful for the treatment of type 2 diabetes," the team noted in a study published in the journal Nature.

Testing a new drug in mice

For this study, the drug was administered orally to several laboratory mice. Initially, they were fed food with an extremely high fat content, so that they developed obesity and type 2 diabetes.

At the same time, the mice did not experience any side effects from the new drug. Their cells reacted again to the presence of insulin, and the blood sugar level fell to normal within a month.

The next step will be to check whether the drug is safe for use in clinical trials in humans, and now is just the right time for this.

The leading cause of death

Diabetes, in particular the second type, will be the seventh leading cause of death worldwide by 2030, as the level of obesity continues to grow, and the number of disappointing diagnoses increases at a frantic pace.

The number of people suffering from this condition has increased by 390 percent over the past three and a half decades, and currently there are only ways to alleviate the symptoms or suppress the disease, but not cure. Perhaps the new drug can finally change this situation.