Double advantage of potential new diabetes treatment

[Northerner]

Blocking the hormone that raises sugar levels in the blood could increase insulin levels while keeping blood sugar levels down.

The findings in mice, to be published in eLife, point to a novel way to treat diabetes -- but only in some patients. They also challenge the benefits of the strategy in severely diabetic patients.

"Inhibiting the hormone glucagon has recently been explored as an alternative or supplement to insulin injection, but it has limitations," says lead author Pedro Herrera from the University of Geneva.

"Our research reveals why: the body needs to have some residual insulin production in order for a treatment blocking glucagon to work."

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/04/160419083245.htm

 

[Annette]

And whats a severely diabetic patient, then?

 

[grovesy]

How many times has stuff worked on mice but not on us humans.

 

[Annette]

Interesting article this link here talks about things other than diabetes, but more generally why maybe mice arent such a good choice for claiming scientific breakthroughs when used as test subjects...

 

[trophywench]

Does it say what to use instead Annette? - cos that's the prob really isn't it? I ain't volunteering, are you? LOL

Bloody Animal Rights people when they found out about that guinea pig breeder who'd been doing it for 2 generations - ranged from pickets to criminal damage, having their lives threatened to digging up the family graves in the local churchyard. Absolutely obscene. I wouldn't offer to breed whatever it might be, even if I had the facilities, because those people are VICIOUS. A lot of them are too stupid to know enough about the animals they are releasing into the wild. How many members of endangered wildlife have fallen to mink for instance? (who just go on a killing spree, not to eat)

I mean I've always felt terribly sorry about B&B's dogs, haven't we all? But OMG - what worthwhile lives those doggies had. But their lives had to be sacrificed, in order to save all the people that they have, including me and you.

 

[Annette]

TW, you'll note I said:

mice arent such a good choice for claiming scientific breakthroughs

In other words, animal trials (of whatever kind) are still needed in some circumstances, but dont then claim a breakthrough until you've done the next stage of human trials...(which I believe are a requirement of some kind before a drug is allowed to be licensed?)

 

[Northerner]

I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for Dog 35

 

[robert@fm]

"Inhibiting the hormone glucagon has recently been explored as an alternative or supplement to insulin injection, but it has limitations,"

https://forum.diabetes.org.uk/boards/threads/turning-diabetes-on-its-head.58509/ 🙄 (I wonder if @mcmoby69 read about this research?)

Bloody Animal Rights people when they found out about that guinea pig breeder who'd been doing it for 2 generations - ranged from pickets to criminal damage, having their lives threatened to digging up the family graves in the local churchyard. Absolutely obscene. I wouldn't offer to breed whatever it might be, even if I had the facilities, because those people are VICIOUS. A lot of them are too stupid to know enough about the animals they are releasing into the wild. How many members of endangered wildlife have fallen to mink for instance? (who just go on a killing spree, not to eat)

Such idiots have actually made me reluctant to admit to being an animal lover, as I don't want to be lumped in with such yobbos, or indeed have anything to do with them. 😡

 

[trophywench]

Well I could quite honestly been incited to murder - them - at the time. Totally DISGRACEFUL behaviour that they seemed PROUD of - and not part of the Human Race for me.