A study has found that a gene commonly studied by cancer researchers has been linked to the metabolic inflammation that leads to diabetes. According to the study, understanding how the gene works means scientists may be closer to finding ways to prevent or cure diabetes.
“Because we understand the mechanism, or how the gene works, we believe a focus on nutrition will find the way to both prevent and reverse diabetes,” said co author Dr. Chaodong Wu. Wu said the research team will collaborate with nutritionists to identify what changes or supplements in a diet will activate the gene to prevent or stop the progression of diabetes.
Diabetes is a disease in which blood sugar (glucose) levels are higher than normal and the body has a hard time converting food to glucose which is then turned into energy. When the body cannot metabolize food, the amount of glucose builds in the blood while the cells lack energy. Complications can include heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, blindness, nerve problems and gum infections. Some of the complications can lead to amputation.
The gene with the possible answers to ways of fighting diabetes is known in the science world as PFKFB3. Wu and the team of researchers identified it as a regulator for metabolism, which plays a vital role in the development of diabetes.
Wu noted that while it is a major health concern in the U.S., obesity does not necessarily cause diabetes to develop; i.e., just because a person is overweight does not mean they have diabetes. Rather, “metabolic inflammation” causes or exacerbates diabetes. That’s where the team began looking at PFKFB3, because it regulates metabolism, to find the mechanism or how the inflammation begins. Metabolic inflammation is different from classic inflammation because there is no infection, virus or bacteria present, though the symptoms appear similar.
He believes nutritionists working with the biological chemists can help develop food consumption plans that either prevent people from developing metabolic inflammation or cause existing conditions to retreat. “First we will need to identify what effective compounds will trigger the gene to regulate metabolism,” Wu said. “Then we need to determine what combinations within foods are more effective.”
References:
1. Chaodong Wu, et al. Disruption of inducible 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase ameliorates diet-induced adiposity but exacerbates systemic insulin resistance and adipose tissue inflammatory response. J. Biol. Chem. jbc.M109.058446, November, 2009. doi:10.1074/jbc.M109.058446.
