There was a time when we didn’t know what viruses where, there was a time when we didn’t know that viruses cause some types of cancer, there was a time that we did not know that viruses caused disease. Today, we know so much, but with all of our knowledge, we have barely scratched the surface of how these microorganisms work and function. Very recently, we have learned of a possible association of viruses with diabetes.
Scientists at Joslin Diabetes Center PhD Emrah Altindis and MD Ronald Khan have recently discovered that some particular viruses may play a role in diabetes since these viruses have been found to have the ability to produce their own insulin-like hormones that can affect human cells. These viruses come from a family of viruses that mainly infect fish and amphibians and are not known to infect humans even if humans ingest the fish. However, new data and research may change our perception. To test the hypotheses on whether these viruses that have insulin like sequences in their genome could effectively act as hormones in mice, the scientists conducted an experiment using a mouse model. In the ensuing experiment, it was found that these viruses could in fact produce viral insulin like peptides that could bind to insulin receptors in mice, specifically IGF-1.
Such a discovery is exciting in the amount of doors that it may possibly open if the data support the hypothesis down the road. For instance, Dr. Khan has coined the possibility that such a discovery might lead to the synthesis of novel insulin that may not need to be refrigerated or that can be absorbed more quickly.
-Daniel Gutierrez
Sources:
0 Komentar