Pathway linking obesity to type 2 diabetes identified by California scientists
Millions of individuals who suffer from type 2 diabetes buy Actos to help bring their blood sugar levels under control.
Millions of individuals who suffer from type 2 diabetes buy Actos to help bring their blood sugar levels under control. Obesity is commonly associated with this metabolic disorder, a link that has prompted many research studies over the years. Recently, scientists from the Center for Nanomedicine - a collaboration between the University of California, the Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute and Santa Barbara University - discovered a pathway that may explain the connection between high-fat diets and the development of diabetes.
Lead author Jamey D. Marth and colleagues published their findings in the current issue of the journal Nature Medicine. In a mouse model, they discovered that a pathway in pancreatic beta cells is activated before metabolic defects in the liver, muscle and adipose tissue develop.
"We were initially surprised to learn how much the pancreatic beta cell contributes to the onset and severity of diabetes," Marth said. "The observation that beta cell malfunction significantly contributes to multiple disease signs, including insulin resistance, was unexpected. We noted, however, that studies from other laboratories published over the past few decades had alluded to this possibility."
An estimated 24 million Americans have diabetes, with the type 2 variety accounting for as much as 95 percent among diagnosed adults.
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