Glucose-intolerance in diabetes may be cured through blocking protein in pancreas

Glucose intolerance of diabetes can be effectively cured by blocking a protein found in the insulin producing pancreatic cells, according to new research.

Diabetes is a disorder of glucose that afflicts over 200 million people worldwide.

Dysfunction or destruction of islet ? cells in the pancreas is the underlying cause of all forms of diabetes.

Whereas type 1 diabetes results from the autoimmune destruction of islet ? cells, type 2 diabetes is thought to develop as ? cell insulin release is unable to compensate for an increasing insulin demand.

Emerging data suggest that in both forms of diabetes the release of proinflammatory cytokines is central to triggering pathways that initiate ? cell dysfunction and eventual death.

The protein called hypusine is considered to be the culprit behind the dysfunction of cells in the pancreas known as beta cells.

The dysfunction is, in part, a result of inflammation mediated by molecules known as cytokines.

In both type 1 and type 2 diabetes, pancreatic islet dysfunction results from cytokines.

The ubiquitous eukaryotic translation initiation factor 5A (eIF5A), which is the only protein to contain the amino acid hypusine, contributes to the production of cytokines.

Eukaryotic translation initiation factor 5A (eIF5A) is a small protein that is highly conserved throughout evolution.

eIF5A is the only protein known to contain the unique polyamine-derived amino acid hypusine.

Researchers led by Raghavendra G. Mirmira, at Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, have found that the protein eIF5A plays a crucial role in this response.

When investigated the researchers found a definitive link between hypusine and islet dysfunction during the development of diabetes.

Blocking of hypusine synthesis reduced protected mice against the development of glucose intolerance.

Further analysis revealed that hypusine is required for a  process that involved the export protein called exportin.

The authors suggest that developing therapeutics that prevent the hypusine modification of eIF5A might be a good way to preserve pancreatic beta cell function.

Diabetes is a chronic, widespread condition in which the body does not produce or properly use insulin, the hormone needed to transport glucose (sugar) from the blood into the cells of the body for energy.

More than 230 million people worldwide are living with the disease and this number is expected to rise to a staggering 350 million within 20 years. According to the World Health Organization estimates, India had 32 million diabetic subjects in the year 2000 and this number would increase to 80 million by the year 2030.

The International Diabetes Federation has reported that the 50.8 million diabetic subjects in India in 2010 would rise to 87 million by the year 2030. It is quite evident from the above observations that diabetes has become a major health problem in India.