Where did all my islets go?

This is quite exciting research. Perhaps this will lead to better glucometers and insuling pumps.

Technology Review: Detecting Cell Loss in Diabetes
A novel molecular tracer could help doctors track the loss of insulin-producing cells in diabetes. Such a tool would allow both doctors and drug developers to better assess the effectiveness of new treatments. It could also shed light on the disease by allowing scientists to correlate loss of insulin-producing cells with diabetes symptoms for the first time.

"If we could see cell loss early, perhaps we could get patients started on therapy before there is irreversible damage," says Dan Skovronsky, founder and CEO of Philadelphia-based Avid Radiopharmaceuticals, the company that is developing the marker.

Author: Khürt Williams

A human who works in information security and enjoys photography, Formula 1 and craft ale. #nobridge

2 thoughts on “Where did all my islets go?”

  1. Very interesting. The only thing I'd have to wonder is about the wisdom of exposing struggling beta cells to a radioactive material. But given that right now the only way to determine the beta cell status is to do an autopsy, it could be a huge help.

    It might also put an end to the parade of drug company claims that their Type 2 drugs regrow beta cells when instead what they really do is just stimulate insulin secretion from existing cells, possibly hastening the burn out process.

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