A World Health Organization report shows that around 347 million people in the world have diabetes and by 2030, it is estimated to be the 7th leading cause of death globally. In the United States, more than 29 million people have diabetes. Treatment options dwell more on controlling blood sugar, but is there a cure to eradicate the disease? Researchers from Cornell University in Ithaca, New York say that a probiotic pill is the solution to this predicament.
In the study, the scientists utilized a probiotic pill combined with an insulin stimulating hormone that can work to reduce blood sugar level. They used engineered human gut bacteria to reprogram cells of diabetic rats to produce insulin. They aimed to target the bacteria in the gut instead of the pancreas to have a new diabetes treatment in the future.
The study was published in the journal Diabetes and was written by John March and his co-authors from Cornell University. In the study, they were able to decrease and lower blood sugar levels in rats that have increased blood sugar using very common bacteria found in the human gut.
Medical News Today reported that the researchers removed the need for insulin injections when their probiotic pill will be used. They engineered a strain of lactobacilli that can secrete GLP-1 which can stimulate insulin production in the intestines, instead of the pancreas.
When the probiotic pill was given to rats for over 90 days, the bacteria have stimulated the cells in the intestines to secrete insulin that can lower the blood sugar by about 30%. Diabetes is a condition wherein the pancreas cannot secrete the needed insulin to control blood sugar levels.
"The amount of time to reduce glucose levels following a meal is the same as in a normal rat, and it is matched to the amount of glucose in the blood, just as it would be with a normal-functioning pancreas. It's moving the center of glucose control from the pancreas to the upper intestine," March explained.
They are now testing higher doses of the probiotic to see if it can completely remove the condition. Also, they are working with BioPancreate, to be able to reproduce the pill for human use. If they will be successful, they have just discovered a breakthrough treatment for diabetes and will help millions of people worldwide.
