News
Fruit
Fly Pancreas Points to Possible Diabetes Cures
Fruit flies have cells
that function like a miniature pancreas, which is good news for researchers
hoping to use the tiny insects to develop cures for diabetes.
Almost two years ago Seung Kim, MD, PhD, assistant professor of
developmental biology and of medicine at the Stanford University School of
Medicine, found cells in the fruit fly brain that make insulin. These cells
tell the fly's energy-storing organ, called a fat body,
to store sugar and fat after a meal, now find the other crucial half of the
pancreatic equation -- cells producing a glucagonlike
hormone.
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the full story
Transplant cures man
of diabetes
A 61-year-old man has
become the first person in the UK to be cured of type 1
diabetes thanks to a groundbreaking cell transplant technique. After
receiving insulin-making cells from the pancreases of dead donors, Richard Lane of
Bromley, Kent, no longer needs insulin
injections.
The King's College Hospital team said the breakthrough
was hugely exciting for people with type 1 diabetes. But the technique is
not perfect. Many patients still require top-up insulin.
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story
Gastric Bypass
Surgery Cures Diabetes
Gastric bypass surgery
has become a popular option for obese people who want to shed pounds
quickly, but researchers say diabetics also have something to gain from the
procedure.
They have found the
surgery controls type 2 diabetes, even when the patient is not obese,
according to a report in the January issue of the Annals of Surgery .
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