Recently I realized, that people visiting this blog come from different backgrounds and are in very different stages regarding of how long they’ve had diabetes and how much do they know about it. So, what for some of us may seem basics, for other recently diagnosed may be essential to know. That’s why I decided to put together a list of the most common terms and vocabulary related to diabetes that you’ll find over and over again during your years with diabetes. I’ll try to define the terms as clearly and shortly as possible so that anyone can understand it. I classified them into several categories to be easier to access, as well as sorted alphabetically. If you happen to stumble upon a term or jargon not listed here, please let me know it in the comments section below, and I’ll do my best to find the answer and add it [...]
Stem cell transplant as a possible cure for type 1 diabetes has been under investigation for a few years. I try to follow the evolution of these treatments closely, and just today I read a story that made my day. A study by scientists from the universities of Chicago and Brazil has shown that auto-transplant of stem cells freed 20 of the 23 patients enrolled in the study from having to inject insulin. These scientists showed that stem cell transplants from the bone marrow of the patient (auto-transplant) can help to keep blood sugar levels controlled for years in people with type 1 diabetes without using insulin (according to an article in the Journal of the American Medical Association). The study was carried out in Brazil from 2004 to 2008, involving 23 people with type 1 diabetes, aged between 13 and 31 years old. 20 participants are still without insulin [...]
A few weeks ago I read an interesting story that was again hopeful for many diabetics who are waiting for a scientific cure for type 1 diabetes. The journal Cell published a new Canadian study with animals, where mice were injected with capsaicin, the substance that makes chili peppers spicy, and they were quickly cured of type 1 diabetes. Researchers from the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto believe that Type 1 diabetes — the most serious form of the disease that usually appears in childhood — is caused by malfunctioning pain nerves that surround cells in the pancreas. In patients suffering from Type 1 diabetes, the pancreas fails to produce sufficient levels of insulin, causing inflammation and death of insulin-producing islet cells in the pancreas. Experts have long believed that the condition was caused by the body’s immune system turning against itself, but the Toronto researchers — immunologist Dr. [...]
Today I read an interesting story: An experimental drug for diabetes dispenses insulin in response to glucose levels. SmartCells biotechnology company in the U.S. is developing a drug that could do most of the work in the control of diabetes. The injectable drug, called SmartInsulin, detects elevated glucose levels and automatically dispenses insulin as needed. As glucose levels fall, the medicine is stabilized, retaining the insulin until the next sugar rush. A drug like this could reduce the number of required insulin injections per day. Todd Zion, SmartCells founder and president, says that a drug that is self-regulated like this can also reduce the risk of hypoglycemia, a potential danger associated with current therapies for diabetes. The company has tested the drug on hundreds of rodents and has recently been experimenting with pigs that do not produce enough insulin – models that are more similar to human diabetes. So far, [...]
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