PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

How fat could help solve part of the diabetes problem

2013-10-29
(Press-News.org) Contact information: Alison Heather
a.heather@garvan.org.au
61-292-958-128
Garvan Institute of Medical Research
How fat could help solve part of the diabetes problem The pancreas is a large organ that wraps around our gut, and produces the exact amount of insulin our bodies need when we eat – except when we start to develop diabetes, and insulin production slows down. Sydney scientists describe how a fat recycling system within pancreatic 'beta cells' determines the amount of insulin they secrete, and so may provide a target for future diabetes therapies.

A small structure inside the beta cell, known as a 'lysosome', behaves like an intracellular recycling unit. It breaks down unwanted fats and proteins in such a way that they can be re-used.

PhD student Gemma Pearson and Professor Trevor Biden from Sydney's Garvan Institute of Medical Research showed that when they prevented lysosomes from breaking down fat, beta cells secreted more insulin. Their study is published in Diabetologia, now online.

While this is a very early stage cell biology story, it nonetheless holds promise, and encourages the scientific community to look at diabetes therapies through a fatty lens.

"There are many different ways fats can be used within the beta cell – so if you stop them being recycled, you force them to be used in a different way," said Gemma Pearson, whose PhD examines the "lipid profile" of beta cells.

"When you shift fats from the lysosome, you store them in other parts of the cell, and they become available to participate in various signaling pathways. One of these pathways clearly increases insulin secretion."

"Fat molecules are not the inert blobs you might think – they can bind to proteins and activate them, causing a range of downstream events to occur."

"The good thing about this particular pathway is that it is only stimulated by glucose. That limits the beta cell to producing excess insulin only to deal with food, rather than around the clock. Too much insulin circulating in the blood, or hyperinsulinaemia, can be very detrimental to health in many respects."

"If in future a drug were to be developed to block fat degradation in the lysosome, it would have to be tweaked to affect beta cells only."

### END


ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Did brain tumor stem cells originate from malignant neural stem cells?

2013-10-29
Did brain tumor stem cells originate from malignant neural stem cells? Although it is believed that glioma is derived from brain tumor stem cells, the source and molecular signal pathways of these cells are still unclear. The potential of neural stem cells to ...

Association between glioma susceptibility and XRCC1 Arg399Gln polymorphism

2013-10-29
Association between glioma susceptibility and XRCC1 Arg399Gln polymorphism DNA damage is an important mechanism of glioma. X-ray cross-complementing group 1 (XRCC1) is a DNA repair gene that participates in the base excision repair pathway. To date, many studies ...

A new DNA vaccine induces a Th2 immune response in Alzheimer's disease mice

2013-10-29
A new DNA vaccine induces a Th2 immune response in Alzheimer's disease mice Amyloid-beta (Aβ) active immunization in Alzheimer's disease can increase the rate of Aβ clearance, and delay cognitive dysfunction, but it is easy to induce meningoencephalitis, ...

New drug to help common bowel disease

2013-10-29
New drug to help common bowel disease An international team led by University of Adelaide researchers has identified the mechanism of pain relief of a new drug for treating Irritable Bowel Syndrome with Constipation (IBS-C), based on nonclinical ...

Human immune system shapes skin microbiome

2013-10-29
Human immune system shapes skin microbiome October 29, 2013 -- Our skin plays host to millions of beneficial and potentially disease-causing microorganisms; however, whether our immune system influences these microbial communities to prevent disease is ...

Pregnant rats exposed to obesity hormone lose birth's protective effect on breast cancer

2013-10-29
Pregnant rats exposed to obesity hormone lose birth's protective effect on breast cancer WASHINGTON — Like humans, young rats that give birth have a reduced risk of breast cancer later in life. But a new study shows that this protective effect in animals is negated ...

A potential new class of fast-acting antidepressant

2013-10-29
A potential new class of fast-acting antidepressant More than 1 in 10 Americans take antidepressants, but these medications can take weeks—and for some patients, months—before they begin to alleviate symptoms. Now, scientists from the University ...

Extracting energy from bacteria

2013-10-29
Extracting energy from bacteria Most of us wouldn't consider bacteria a promising energy source of the future. That would be shortsighted, says Leonard Tender, a microbial-electrochemist at the Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, D.C., who believes that ...

New forensic technique for identifying cloth fibers

2013-10-29
New forensic technique for identifying cloth fibers Crime-scene investigators may soon have a new tool to help them catch evildoers. Researchers have demonstrated the proof-of-principle for a new forensic technique to identify individual fibers of cloth, which ...

Scientists reduce behaviors associated with problem gambling in rats

2013-10-29
Scientists reduce behaviors associated with problem gambling in rats With the help of a rat casino, University of British Columbia brain researchers have successfully reduced behaviours in rats that are commonly associated with compulsive gambling in humans. The ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Thirty-year mystery of dissonance in the “ringing” of black holes explained

Less intensive works best for agricultural soil

Arctic rivers project receives “national champion” designation from frontiers foundation

Computational biology paves the way for new ALS tests

Study offers new hope for babies born with opioid withdrawal syndrome

UT, Volkswagen Group of America celebrate research partnership

New Medicare program could dramatically improve affordability for cancer drugs – if patients enroll

Are ‘zombie’ skin cells harmful or helpful? The answer may be in their shapes

University of Cincinnati Cancer Center presents research at AACR 2025

Head and neck, breast, lung and survivorship studies headline Dana-Farber research at AACR Annual Meeting 2025

AACR: Researchers share promising results from MD Anderson clinical trials

New research explains why our waistlines expand in middle age

Advancements in muon detection: Taishan Antineutrino Observatory's innovative top veto tracker

Chips off the old block

Microvascular decompression combined with nerve combing for atypical trigeminal neuralgia

Cutting the complexity from digital carpentry

Lung immune cell type “quietly” controls inflammation in COVID-19

Fiscal impact of expanded Medicare coverage for GLP-1 receptor agonists to treat obesity

State and sociodemographic trends in US cigarette smoking with future projections

Young adults drive historic decline in smoking

NFCR congratulates Dr. Robert C. Bast, Jr. on receiving the AACR-Daniel D. Von Hoff Award for Outstanding Contributions to Education and Training in Cancer Research

Chimpanzee stem cells offer new insights into early embryonic development

This injected protein-like polymer helps tissues heal after a heart attack

FlexTech inaugural issue launches, pioneering interdisciplinary innovation in flexible technology

In Down syndrome mice, 40Hz light and sound improve cognition, neurogenesis, connectivity

Methyl eugenol: potential to inhibit oxidative stress, address related diseases, and its toxicological effects

A vascularized multilayer chip reveals shear stress-induced angiogenesis in diverse fluid conditions

AI helps unravel a cause of Alzheimer's disease and identify a therapeutic candidate

Coalition of Autism Scientists critiques US Department of Health and Human Services Autism Research Initiative

Structure dictates effectiveness, safety in nanomedicine

[Press-News.org] How fat could help solve part of the diabetes problem