Cure Research for Diabetes
Cure Research list for Diabetes:
The list of research areas and treatments under analysis mentioned
in various sources for Diabetes
includes:
Curable Types of Diabetes
Possibly curable or rare types of Diabetes include:
Rare Types of Diabetes:
Some rare types of Diabetes include:
Latest Treatments for Diabetes
Some of the more recent treatments for Diabetes include:
Treatments for Diabetes
Treatments to consider for Diabetes may include:
Medical Research Breakthroughs and Diabetes
Gene linked to Diabetes and Kidney Disease identified: Researchers at the John A. Moran Eye Center at the University of Utah and
collaborative institutions have identified a gene called erythropoietin (EPO)
that contributes to increased risk of severe diabetic eye and kidney diseases,
called retinopathy and nephropathy. The sight-threatening form of diabetic
retinopathy, termed proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR), is the most
common cause of legal blindness in working-aged adults in the United States,
accounting for 10% of new onset blindness overall. Diabetes is also the leading
cause of kidney disease, called end-stage renal disease (ESRD), in the U.S. and
the Western world. The
development of PDR and ESRD in diabetic patients is known to be inherited.
Although genetic factors are known to be important in the susceptibility (or
resistance) to these complications, until now the genes involved have been
mostly unknown. In this study the researchers compared 1,618 people with PDR
and ESDR, and 954 diabetes patients without any eye or kidney disease in three
separate populations. Their studies demonstrate that if a person has a copy of
mutant EPO gene, they have an increased risk of developing PDR and ESRD during
their lifetime. EPO is used extensively to help in the production of red blood
cells when treating patients with anaemia resulting from renal failure or
chemotherapy. In the United States, erythropoietin represents one of the
largest single drug expenses for the Center for Medicare & Medicaid
Services. Patients with anemia due to chronic renal disease (many of whom have
diabetes) who receive frequent dosing of EPO to maintain higher hemoglobin
levels have a higher rate of cardiovascular complications than patients who
maintain a lower hemoglobin level. A similar effect of EPO on accelerating the
decline of kidney function had been suggested by earlier studies. The New study suggests that caution may be warranted when maintaining higher
hemoglobin concentration using exogenous EPO treatment in diabetic patients, as
it might accelerate progression to PDR and ESRD. Though there is no proven
pharmacologic treatment for diabetic vascular eye diseases, inhibiting the
growth of unwanted blood vessel growth using antibodies directed against
vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF therapy) has been advocated, says
the author. This genetic study suggests that future therapeutic strategies need
to consider blunting the effects of erythropoietin in addition or as an
alternative to an anti-VEGF strategy.
Cure Research discussion for Diabetes:
Diabetes Overview: NIDDK (Excerpt)
In recent years, advances in diabetes research have led to better ways
to manage diabetes and treat its complications. Major advances include
- The development of a quick-acting insulin analog.
- Better ways to monitor blood glucose and for people with diabetes to
check their own blood glucose levels.
- Development of external insulin pumps that deliver insulin,
replacing daily injections.
- Laser treatment for diabetic eye disease, reducing the risk of
blindness.
- Successful transplantation of kidneys and pancreas in people whose
own kidneys fail because of diabetes.
- Better ways of managing diabetes in pregnant women, improving
chances of successful outcomes.
- New drugs to treat type 2 diabetes and better ways to manage this
form of diabetes through weight control.
- Evidence that intensive management of blood glucose reduces and may
prevent development of diabetes complications.
- Demonstration that antihypertensive drugs called ACE
(angiotensin-converting enzyme) inhibitors prevent or delay kidney
failure in people with diabetes.
- Promising results with islet transplantation for type 1 diabetes
reported by the University of Alberta in Canada. A nationwide clinical
trial funded by the NIH and the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation is
currently trying to replicate the Canadian advance.
What Will the Future Bring?
In the future, it may be possible to administer insulin through
inhalers, a pill, or a patch. Devices are also being developed that can
monitor blood glucose levels without having to prick a finger to get a
blood sample.
Researchers continue to search for the cause or causes of diabetes and
ways to prevent and cure the disorder. Scientists are looking for genes
that may be involved in type 1 or type 2 diabetes. Some genetic markers
for type 1 diabetes have been identified, and it is now possible to screen
relatives of people with type 1 diabetes to see if they are at risk.
The Diabetes Prevention Trial--Type 1, sponsored by NIDDK, identifies
relatives at risk for developing type 1 diabetes and treats them with low
doses of insulin or with oral insulin-like agents in the hope of
preventing type 1 diabetes. Similar research is under way at other medical
centers throughout the world. For more information about this trial, call
1-800-HALT-DM1 (1-800-425-8361).
Transplantation of the pancreas or insulin-producing beta cells offers
the best hope of cure for people with type 1 diabetes. Some pancreas
transplants have been successful. However, people who have transplants
must take powerful drugs to prevent rejection of the transplanted organ.
These drugs are costly and may eventually cause other health problems.
Scientists are working to develop less harmful drugs and better methods
of transplanting beta cells to prevent rejection by the body. Using
techniques of bioengineering, researchers are also trying to create
artificial beta cells that secrete insulin in response to increased
glucose levels in the blood.
Recently, researchers at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada,
announced promising results with islet transplantation in seven patients
with type 1 diabetes. At the time of the report in the New England
Journal of Medicine, all seven patients who had received the
transplant remained free of insulin injections up to 14 months after the
procedure.
A clinical trial funded by the NIH and the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation
will try to replicate the Edmonton advance. With the insights gained from
this trial and other studies, scientists hope to further refine methods of
islet harvesting and transplantation and learn more about the immune
processes that affect rejection and acceptance of transplanted islets.
For type 2 diabetes, the focus is on ways to prevent diabetes.
Preventive approaches include identifying people at high risk for the
disorder and encouraging them to lose weight, be more physically active,
and follow a healthy eating plan. The Diabetes Prevention Program, another
NIDDK project, focuses on preventing the disorder in high-risk
populations, such as people with impaired fasting glucose, African
Americans, Alaska Natives, American Indians, Asian and Pacific Islander
Americans, Hispanic Americans, or women who have had gestational
diabetes.
Several new drugs were recently developed to treat type 2 diabetes. By
using the oral diabetes medications now available, many people can control
blood glucose levels without insulin injections. Studies are under way to
determine how best to use these drugs to manage type 2 diabetes.
Scientists also are investigating strategies for weight loss in people
with type 2 diabetes.
(Source: excerpt from Diabetes Overview: NIDDK)
Diabetes Control and Complications Trial (DCCT): NIDDK (Excerpt)
The DCCT is a clinical study conducted from 1983 to 1993 by the
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK).
The study showed that keeping blood glucose levels as close to normal as
possible slows the onset and progression of eye, kidney, and nerve
diseases caused by diabetes. In fact, it demonstrated that any sustained
lowering of blood glucose helps, even if the person has a history of poor
control.
The largest, most comprehensive diabetes study ever conducted, the DCCT
involved 1,441 volunteers with type 1 diabetes and 29 medical centers in
the United States and Canada. Volunteers had diabetes for at least 1 year
but no longer than 15 years. They also were required to have no, or only
early signs of, diabetic eye disease.
The study compared the effects of two treatment regimens--standard
therapy and intensive control--on the complications of diabetes.
Volunteers were randomly assigned to each treatment group. (Source: excerpt from Diabetes Control and Complications Trial (DCCT): NIDDK)
Noninvasive Blood Glucose Monitors: NIDDK (Excerpt)
Over the years, scientists have been trying to find noninvasive ways
for people with diabetes to measure their blood glucose. Most methods of
monitoring blood glucose require a blood sample, usually obtained by using
an automatic lancing device on a finger. Some meters use a blood sample
from a less sensitive area, such as the upper arm, forearm, or thigh. Some
devices use a beam of light instead of a lancet to pierce the skin.
(Source: excerpt from Noninvasive Blood Glucose Monitors: NIDDK)
Pancreatic Islet Transplantation: NIDDK (Excerpt)
In pancreatic islet transplantation, cells are taken from a donor
pancreas and transferred into another person. Once implanted, the new
islets begin to make and release insulin. Researchers hope that islet
transplantation will help people with type 1 diabetes live without daily
injections of insulin. (Source: excerpt from Pancreatic Islet Transplantation: NIDDK)
Diabetes: NWHIC (Excerpt)
In recent years, advances in diabetes research have led to better ways
to manage diabetes and treat its complications. For example, the insulin
pump, new oral medications, and better ways of monitoring blood glucose
have become available. In the future, it may be possible to administer
insulin through inhalers, a pill, or a patch. Devices are also being
developed that can monitor blood glucose levels without having to prick a
finger to get a blood sample. Researchers continue to search for the cause
or causes of diabetes and ways to prevent and cure the disorder. (Source: excerpt from Diabetes: NWHIC)
Medical research for Diabetes: medical news summaries:
The following medical news items
are relevant to medical research for Diabetes:
Diabetes Treatment: Book Excerpts
Clinical Trials for Diabetes
Some of the clinical trials for Diabetes include:
Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of conditions that can increase a person's risk of developing heart disease. Learn more about this syndrome and...
Your risk of developing heart disease, stroke or diabetes is greatly increased if you suffer from a combination of health problems, known as...
Studies show nearly 3 out of every 4 women will experience a yeast infection at least once in their life. For women with diabetes, however, the risk...
What are the most important steps to take in keeping your diabetes under control? Hear a leading diabetes educator describe the seven key behaviors...
See full list of 31 related videos
» Next page: Deaths from Diabetes
Rate This Website
What do you think about the features of this website?
Take our user survey and have your say:
Website User Survey
Medical Tools & Articles:
Next articles:
Tools & Services:
Medical Articles:
Forums & Message Boards
- Ask or answer a question at the Boards:
