$2M Granted to UNR School of Medicine Researchers for Diabetes Breakthrough Discovery

$2 million in funding has been granted to University of Nevada's School of Medicine after a promising discovery. This could possibly pave the way for a Type 2 diabetes cure, along with hope for the approximately 400 million diabetics, worldwide. 

Dr. Seungil Ro and his team at UNR have been working on diabetes research for several years. About three years ago, Dr. Ro discovered a molecule that can be used to treat Type 2 diabetes. 

In such patients, he found, that gene is essentially turned "off." Dr. Ro explains, "This tiniest, small gene is shut down in diabetes patients." Proving this theory was the hard part.

When testing it out in mice, Dr. Ro and his team used a chemical to turn that same gene "off." They expected the mice to gain weight, as typically happens in diabetes patients. However, after several months, the mice still seemed healthy. The team was disappointed.

Dr. Ro's lab member, Sandra Poudrier, had hope and kept monitoring the mice anyway. About six months in, the mice eventually proved them right; they became obese and developed Type 2 diabetes.  

Dr. Ro remembers, "That was a kind of record moment." That proof is what gained the team $2 million in funding by South Korean manufacturing company, YUYANG DNU Co., Ltd. 

Dr. Ro says this same research also shows that diabetes can be caused by a digestive condition called gastroparesis, something half of diabetes patients have. He explains, "The stomach's not properly working and the food stays longer than it's supposed to be, which produces more glucose and then glucose dumps into blood, which increases blood glucose levels. I think that's what's causing diabetes."

This runs contrary to the current thought that gastroparesisis caused by diabetes. 

Now, with this funding, Dr. Ro and his team will begin testing FDA-approved drug candidates in hopes of turning that tiny gene back "on" to treat or inhibit Type 2 diabetes.

Dr. Ro says while there's no guarantee, the ongoing project is certainly promising, "We cannot say 'cure,' but at least we can probably slow it down or prevent diabetes."

They will continue research on mice to hopefully find a drug that works. If successful, they hope to start human clinical trials next.  

For more information about this research, click here.