Latest Diabetes Research: New-age, light-activated drug to help control diabetes

By: Editorial Team | | Updated: October 14, 2014 6:08 pm

If you have diabetes, here is some good news for you, scientists have created a drug for Type 2 diabetes that is switched on by blue light, thus paving the way to reducing side effects of diabetes medication. The drug would be inactive under normal conditions but a patient could in theory switch it on using blue LEDs (light emitting diodes) attached to the skin. Only a small amount of light would need to penetrate the skin to change the drug’s shape and turn it on. This change is reversible so the drug switches off again when the light goes off. Also Read - Diabetes: Beneficial gut bacteria can play a key role in treating the condition

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‘Diabetes drugs that promote the release of insulin from the pancreas can in some cases cause side effects due to their actions on other organs such as the brain and heart. Some can also stimulate too much insulin release, causing blood sugar levels to drop too low,’ explained David Hodson from the Imperial College London. Also Read - Two amazing diabetes breakthroughs of 2020

To help create better drugs, researchers at the Imperial College London and the Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich adapted an existing type of drug called a sulfonylurea so that it changes shape when exposed to blue light. They demonstrated that the prototype drug, known as JB253, stimulates insulin release from pancreatic cells in the lab when exposed to blue light. (Read: Five herbal remedies for diabetes)

‘In principle, this type of therapy may allow better control over blood sugar levels because it can be switched on for a short time when required after a meal. It should also reduce complications by targeting drug activity to where it’s needed in the pancreas,’ Hodson informed. ‘So far, we have created a molecule that has the desired effect on human pancreatic cells in the lab. Our ultimate goal is to make this therapy available to patients soon,’ he noted. Type 2 diabetes affects around 350 million people worldwide. The study was published in the journal Nature Communications. (Read: Keep your blood sugar in control naturally with garlic)

Here are 10 tips to prevent diabetes

1. Get your sugar levels checked: A lot of people have prediabetes (fasting sugar: 100-125 mg/dl) and are totally clueless about it. A blood sugar test will help you to understand whether you re prediabetic and what are your chances of developing diabetes. If you get diagnosed with prediabetes, then you can take the right steps and prevent it from transforming into irreversible diabetes.

2. Change your lifestyle: Sometimes, small changes can make a huge difference. Lifestyle intervention for preventing diabetes is the best example for this. Several studies on diabetes prevention programme have proved that diabetes can be prevented effectively by giving up sedentary lifestyle and adopting healthier changes.

3. Eat healthy: Eat a healthy diet that has low calories, especially low saturated fats. Trials have shown that fat intake should not exceed 30 percent of the total calorie intake, whereas saturated fats should be restricted to just 10 percent. Include more of vegetables, fresh fruits, whole grains, dairy products and sources of omega 3 fats. Also, increase your fibre intake. Read more about 10 tips to prevent diabetes

With inputs from IANS

Photo source: Getty images

Published : October 14, 2014 6:08 pm | Updated:October 14, 2014 6:08 pm

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