Scientists are hoping to manipulate three ‘longevity genes’ they have identified that promote a healthy and long life. Researchers hope they can create a pill that imitates the genes’ function. One gene is thought to prevent diabetes, while the group of genes is said to protect people who have them against smoking, obesity and poor diet.

However, some are already questioning their scientists’ claims. As more information becomes available, we will surely hear more expert opinions on both sides.

To receive free news updates from Diabetes News Hound delivered straight to your Inbox, sign up here.

If you already receive the free Alerts, spread the word by telling a friend to sign up here.

People with Type 1 diabetes do not produce insulin, the hormone that controls sugar levels in the blood, and therefore must inject it into their body either through multiple daily needle shots or via an insulin pump.

The current study examined the results of 23 other studies comprised of 976 adults and kids and examined results of their A1C tests, which measure blood sugar control over a span of several months. Those using the pump showed significant A1C results. 

However, experts quoted in the story say children using the pump may initially show dramatic improvement in blood sugar levels, but may not produce significant improved levels beyond six months to a year.

To receive free news updates from Diabetes News Hound delivered straight to your Inbox, sign up here.

If you already receive the free Alerts, spread the word by telling a friend to sign up here.

Essentially, an artificial pancreas is a technology that combines continuous blood sugar testing with an insulin pump. Both technologies are currently available independently, but do not coordinate with each other. With the artificial pancreas, the pair work together to measure blood sugar levels and distribute insulin accordingly.

To receive free news updates from Diabetes News Hound delivered straight to your Inbox, sign up here.

If you already receive the free Alerts, spread the word by telling a friend to sign up here.

Amy Tenderich, who runs the diabetes blog Diabetes Mine, wrote about a new non-invasive blood glucose monitoring device she saw at the recent Diabetes Technology Society meeting in San Francisco. It is called GlucoTrack and is made by a company called Integrity Applications. Essentially the device looks like an mp3-player with a small wire attached to it. The wire has a clamp at the end that is placed on the user’s earlobe. The device uses ultrasonic, conductivity and heat capacity technologies to measure the amount of sugar in the blood.

However, there is one major drawback so far that the company is working to improve: accuracy. The company claims it is more accurate than other non-invasive meters, but not as accurate as testing the blood-sugar levels by sticking your finger.

The device, which has been approved to go to market in Europe in the middle of next year and expects FDA approval the following year, is made for use by both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetics. However, Tenderich says the device may catch on easier with Type 2 diabetics because the majority of people with that form of the disease do not take insulin. People with diabetes that take insulin rely heavily on their blood sugar test results in order to take the proper dosage of insulin. Another benefit of the new device is that it eliminates the need for pricey test strips, according to the account on Diabetes Mine.

To receive free news updates from Diabetes News Hound delivered straight to your Inbox, sign up here.

If you already receive the free Alerts, spread the word by telling a friend to sign up here.

(See AstraZeneca’s Antipsychotic Drug May Cause Diabetes, Sept. 23, 2009)

The drug saw sales of $4.45 billion in 2008. AstraZeneca says it has spent $623 million so far in legal costs related to the defense of Seroquel. Company officials say the first trials could take place in January in state court in Delaware and New Jersey.

To receive free news updates from Diabetes News Hound delivered straight to your Inbox, sign up here.

If you already receive the free Alerts, spread the word by telling a friend to sign up here.

The agency says it has received 78 reports of kidney-function problems between April 2005 and October of last year. Near 7 million prescriptions for Byetta, which is from companies Eli Lilly and Amylin Pharmaceuticals, were filled over that time period. 

The drug had previously only been approved for patients in the U.S. that had trouble maintaining blood sugar control and was to be taken in concert with other diabetes drugs. However, the drug recently won FDA approval as a stand-alone treatment.  

A spokesman for the companies said that clinical trial data for the drug showed no direct negative impact on the kidneys, noting that the diabetes is actually a leading cause of kidney problems. 

The majority of the problems occurred in patients that had pre-existing kidney disease or were at risk of developing problems, according to another article from Healthday News. An FDA official said that patients and doctors should be on the lookout for symptoms of kidney problems, which include fatigue, swelling of the hands and feet, as well as lower back aches and digestive troubles. Symptoms also include changes to the amount and how frequently they urinate, as well as the color of the urine.     

Side effects of the drug — nausea, vomiting and diarrhea — may also contribute to the development of kidney problems, which can in turn result in potentially life-threatening conditions.

To receive free news updates from Diabetes News Hound delivered straight to your Inbox, sign up here. If you already receive the free Alerts, spread the word by telling a friend to sign up here.

The findings of a study involving 9,000 patients were presented at a European Association for the Study of Diabetes in Vienna. With the findings, Novo seeks to distance itself even further from Sanofi-Aventis’s insulin analogue Lantus, which some recent studies suggest may cause cancer.  

Unlike insulin produced by the body, Levemir and Lantus are insulin analogues, which contain a slightly altered molecular structure which enables them to last for a longer period of time in the body. However, while both are insulin analogues, Novo pointed out Levemir has different characteristics than Lantus. Specifically, Levermir does not bind any more than regular insulin a receptor known to promote tumor growth in the body.

Levemir, which was launched more recently than Lantus, was not studied in the recent reports about Lantus.

To receive free news updates from Diabetes News Hound delivered straight to your Inbox, sign up here. If you already receive the free Alerts, spread the word by telling a friend to sign up here.

Diabetes and cancer have been linked in a number of recent news article, both for good and potentially bad reasons. While a number of drugs have been shows to lower the risk of certain types of cancer and even be used as a potential cure in the future for others, some scary data surfaced in June when researchers said Lantus, one of the world’s most popular insulin treatments, may increase the risk of cancer.

Lantus, which is made by Sanofi-Aventis, is an insulin analogue that is generally injected once a day with the goal of helping to keep blood-sugar levels in check in between meals and overnight. Additionally, U.S. regulators delayed ruling on Novo Nordisk’s liraglutide drug after some testing of the drug on animals showed cases of thyroid cancer.

The recent research has led many in the medical community wondering whether they need to pay closer attention to the risk versus reward of these types of drugs. Both Sanofi-Aventis and Novo Nordisk will prevent safety info about Lantus and Levemir at this year’s European Association for the Study of Diabetes on Oct. 1.

To receive free news updates from Diabetes News Hound delivered straight to your Inbox, sign up here. If you already receive the free Alerts, spread the word by telling a friend to sign up here.

The spray, made by the biotech company Generex, was approved under the FDA’s Investigative New Drug program.

To receive free news updates from Diabetes News Hound delivered straight to your Inbox, sign up here. If you already receive the free Alerts, spread the word by telling a friend to sign up here.

Initial data shows that patients treated with the vaccine shortly after diagnosis were in a much better condition, the company says. In fact, the initial data shows that the vaccine was able to stop or reduce the destruction of beta cells, key in the production of insulin, which is a main symptom of Type 1 diabetes.  

The company also says safety data continues to look good and that there are no serious side effects. The study period is 7 years. “The fact that two single injections still seem to have an effect 4 years later is very good news,” says Elisabeth Lindner, CEO and President of Diamyd Medical

Diamyd is conducting a global Phase III program for the vaccine, which includes 640 children and adolescents newly diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in nine European countries and one parallel study in the US.

To receive free news updates from Diabetes News Hound delivered straight to your Inbox, sign up here. If you already receive the free Alerts, spread the word by telling a friend to sign up here.