New research suggests that multiple daily insulin injections may one day be a thing of the past for people with Type 1 diabetes, according to a recent article published by BusinessWeek.
Researchers experimenting on mice say that the weight loss hormone leptin may one day replace or complement insulin shots in helping people with Type 1 diabetes maintain better blood sugar control. Previous research suggested the hormone may help people with Type 2 diabetes.
People with Type 1 diabetes do not produce insulin, the hormone that helps control the level of sugar in the blood, and therefore must inject the hormone into their body on a regular basis. People with Type 2 diabetes produce insulin, but their body does not use it efficiently. Some people can control their Type 2 diabetes through diet and exercise, but most need to take a pill or even insulin injections to regulate the sugar in their blood.
For this study, researchers treated Type 1 diabetic mice with insulin, leptin or a combination of the two hormones. What they found was that those treated with leptin or the combination of the two hormones showed better blood sugar control, lower cholesterol and lower body fat. Researchers say the next step is human trials to see if the treatment works in humans.
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