StemCell Therapy

To understand the new findings, one has to take ina bit of basic research.The focus here is on two messenger substances that researchers at Helmholtz Zentrum Mnchen, the German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), ETH Zurich and Indiana Universityfeel show particular promise. These substances aregastric inhibitory polypeptide (GIP) and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1).

GIP and GLP-1 are produced in the digestive tract and play vitalroles in regulating body weight and food intake. A study on their effects now published in the journal Cell Metabolism provides pointersfor developing drugs to treat obesity and type 2 diabetes.

GIP acts on receptors of the central nervous system located in the brain, stimulatingthe release of insulin and loweringblood glucose levels. But how exactly this works has not been clear until now.

First author Qian Zhang and her team had two different types of mice at their disposal for their experiment: normal wild-type mice and specially bred mice that lacked the GIP receptors in the brain. The researchers injected both typeswith GIP.

Mice naturally have GIP receptors, but for the trial, scientists used specially bred mice without them

It was found that body weight and food intake decreasedin the wild-type mice, indicatingthat the hormone has an effect on appetite regulation. In contrast, food intake remained the same in the special laboratory mice lacking the GIP receptor. Their body weight decreased only minimally.

The researchers also looked at the mice's brain activity. "After administration of GIP, increased neuronal activity was evidentin the area of the hypothalamus associated with the control of appetite ," says Christian Wolfrum of ETH Zurich.

As far as the treatment of type 2 diabetesgoes, it isGLP-1 that plays an important role. It enhances the glucose-dependent release of insulin from the cells of the pancreas. Diabetics do not produce enough insulin themselves and have to inject it regularly.The problem is that GLP-1 is broken down again very quickly in the body and has to be constantly produced again. A solution to this problem has been available since 2005: a drug called Exenatide from AstraZeneca.

This contains an active ingredient derived from the saliva of the North American Gila monster, a venomous lizard.Itacts in a similar wayto GLP-1but is not broken down as quickly by the body.

The active ingredient is therefore an "agonist." This means that it mimics the action of a hormone at a receptor and stimulates the receptor in the same way.

A similar approach usingGLP-1 and GIP agonists had already been taken by researchers at Helmholtz Zentrum Mnchen together with colleagues from Indiana University. They had combined two hormones in a single molecule that acts on and stimulates both GIP and GLP-1 receptors.

This dual agonist simultaneously lowers weight and improves blood glucose levels. The researcherspublished their research in Science Translational Medicine in 2013.

The compound has now already entered a phase III clinical trial. It has been shown that the combination drug reduces body weight more than just one molecule does when acting at the GLP-1 receptor.

In the more recent mouse trial, it became clear, however,that the drug had no effect in mice lacking the GIP receptor in the brain. "Our work shows for the first time that the GLP-1/GIP dual agonist requires the GIP receptor in the brain to reduce body weight and food intake," saidTimo Mller, last author of the new study and head of the Institute for Diabetes and Obesity (IDO) at Helmholtz Zentrum Mnchen.

His next goal is now to find further active substances to improve GIP receptor signalingbecause these appear to be the central mechanism for treating both conditions.

Sugar is converted to fat in the body about two to five times more quickly than starches. In other words, when we consume sugar, were feeding our fat cells. The fructose in sugar is also metabolized by the liver, which can contribute to fatty liver disease. That can promote insulin resistance and lead to Type 2 diabetes with a lifelong impact on your health.

In small amounts, sugar promotes the release of serotonin, a hormone that boosts mood. But too much sugar can promote depression and anxiety. Sudden shifts in blood sugar levels can also lead to irritability, anxiety and mood swings.

We already know that sugar has a variety of health effects, but it also affects the skin. Thats in part due to glycation, the process whereby sugar molecules bind to collagen fibers. As a result, the collagen fibers lose their natural elasticity. Excess sugar also damages microcirculation, which slows cell turnover. That can promote the development of wrinkles, make you look older than your age.

The microflora of your gut promote digestion and protect your digestive system from harmful bacteria. Consuming too much sugar gets your gut microflora out of whack. Fungi and parasites love sugar. An excess of the Candida albicans yeast can lead to a host of annoying health symptoms. And sugar also contributes to constipation, diarrhea and gas.

In overweight people, the brain responds to sugar by releasing dopamine, in much the same way that it responds to alcohol or other addictive substances. Test it yourself: avoid all sugary foods and beverages for ten days. If you start to get headachy and irritable after a day or two, and start craving sugar, then you could be suffering from sugar withdrawal.

People who consume excess sugar are more likely to engage in aggressive behavior. Children with ADHD are also affected by sugar. For these children, too much sugar affects concentration and promotes hyperactivity. Thats why its a good idea for children to avoid eating sugar during school hours.

Excessive sugar consumption makes it harder for the immune system to ward off disease. After consuming sugar, the immune systems ability to kill germs is reduced by up to 40 percent. Sugar also saps the bodys store of vitamin C, which white blood cells need to fight off viruses and bacteria. Sugar also promotes the inflammatory response, and even minor inflammation can trigger numerous diseases.

Studies have shown that excess sugar consumption increases the risk of developing Alzheimers disease. A 2013 study showed that insulin resistance and high blood sugar values both of which are common in diabetes are associated with a higher risk of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimers.

Cancer cells need sugar to proliferate. An international research team headed by Lewis Cantley of Harvard Medical School is researching how sugar might contribute to the growth of malignant cells. He believes that refined sugar may be what causes cancer cells to develop into tumors. Hes still testing that hypothesis but recommends that even slender people consume as little sugar as possible.

Excess sugar consumption may have a negative impact on memory. According to a study carried out by Berlins Charit University Hospital, people with high blood sugar levels have a smaller hippocampus the part of the brain thats key to long term memory. In the study, people with high blood sugar also performed more poorly on tests of memory than those with low blood sugar levels.

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Obesity and diabetes drug could be on the way - DW (English)

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