Diabetes affects anywhere from 5 to 10% of the U.S. population. Usually, the diagnosis marks the beginning of a lifetime regimen of going to doctors, taking medications, and continually monitoring their blood glucose levels. With a recent discovery, however, researchers now believe that they are one step closer to a diabetes type 1 cure.

The discovery revolves around the 12-Lipoxygenase enzyme, also known as 12-LO, and the gene that produces it. The studies seem to conclusively prove an undeniable link between 12-LO and diabetes.

This link begins with the pancreas. One of the most important functions of the pancreas is to produce the insulin and glucagon needed to control glucose levels in your body. In patients with type 1 diabetes, however, it appears that 12-LO destroys beta cells in the pancreas. The pancreas is unable to produce insulin and the blood glucose levels in the body become elevated to dangerous levels. In other words, without these beta cells, diabetes is the result.

Realizing this, researchers determined that one key to a diabetes type 1 cure might be to find a way to prevent 12-LO from destroying these beta cells. The evolutionary method that the researchers at the Strelitz Diabetes Center have come up with is to block 12-LO using a form of gene therapy.

The EVMS Strelitz Diabetes Center, located in East Virginia, provides care for those suffering from diabetes. In addition, it has a research arm that is focused and dedicated to finding a cure for the disease. It is their staff that made the link between 12-LO and diabetes by studying donated human beta cells. Their research on the human cells have proven that the enzyme is the cause of beta cell destruction in humans as well as in mice.

Following this discovery, the researchers then focused on using gene therapy to control the 12-LO enzyme. Thus far the studies have been limited to mice. In these mice, they deleted the gene that produces the 12-LO enzyme. The results were nothing short of amazing. When the gene was deleted, the 12-LO enzyme was no longer produced. With the production of the enzyme halted, the diabetes stopped and the blood sugar in the mice returned to normal levels.

Scientists have already proven that deleting the the 12-LO gene in mice can prevent them from coming down with type 1 diabetes. Studies have also proven that deleting this gene in mice with diabetes can essentially reverse or cure the disease. So now the research moves towards finding a way to effectively target the 12-LO enzyme in humans the same as has been done in mice. If successful, new treatments can be created that can halt the damage to cure the disease at its inception.

Caution is advised, however, since past studies on mice have proven that just because a treatment works on mice does not mean that it will be effective on humans. Even so, experiments on mice are where eventual cures and treatments are first proven to be effective. And it can be looked on as nothing more than a positive sign of things to come.

Alice Saracho writes about nutrition and news related to diabetes such as free diabetes supplies and reverse diabetes without drugs. Please visit her website for more articles and information.

Article Source: Diabetes Type 1 Cure Almost In Sight