Diabetes breakthrough – A pill that could reverse the disease

Scientists have developed a pill that could reverse type 2 diabetes.

As many as 1 in 10 people are diabetics in Zimbabwe. Current drugs merely manage the condition.

The new drug tested on mice saw a pill administered through the mouth daily.

Stephanie Stanford of the University of California, San Diego, and her team have found that giving mice with diabetes a drug that affects insulin signalling restores their ability to control their blood sugar levels.

Said Burns:

This could lead to a new therapeutic strategy for treating type 2 diabetes. If this new drug works as described, it could be used to reverse insulin resistance, but we need to know first if it does that safely in people.

To find out all the scientific tid-bits about how the drug actually works, click here to find out more information on New Scientist.

At present there has been focus on targeted enzymes and more safer testing in animals is scheduled. No side effects have been found.

As for when this drug will be available to everyone, well, erm… it is quite a while away for now.