Diabetes Reversed by Neuropeptide
Posted: Fri Jan 05, 2007 6:24 pm
An article published last month in the journal Cell appears to signal a shift in the way the scientific research community will have to rethink the "auto-immune" hypothesis regarding diabetes.
This study is remarkable not only because the researchers reversed the effects of diabetes in an animal model, but that they were able to achieve this result by the addition of a neuropeptide -- substance P. It appers that dysfuncional neuro regulation in the pancreas is the initiating event that allows for a "T-cell rush" that cascades into autoimmunity.
Doesn't sound like autoimmunity to me. It will be interesting to see if a similar mechanism for neuro regulation can be found in the CNS.
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/calgary/story/ ... euron.html
http://www.cell.com/content/article/abs ... 7406014656
This study is remarkable not only because the researchers reversed the effects of diabetes in an animal model, but that they were able to achieve this result by the addition of a neuropeptide -- substance P. It appers that dysfuncional neuro regulation in the pancreas is the initiating event that allows for a "T-cell rush" that cascades into autoimmunity.
Doesn't sound like autoimmunity to me. It will be interesting to see if a similar mechanism for neuro regulation can be found in the CNS.
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/calgary/story/ ... euron.html
http://www.cell.com/content/article/abs ... 7406014656