Four lucky beagles seem to have been cured of their canine type one diabetes by use of gene therapy. This treatment is known to be affective in mice, however, this is the first time researchers have attempted this therapy in dogs. Two genes are inserted into the dog, together these two genes are able to form a “glucose sensor” that allows for glucose to be processed more correctly. After the gene insertion the dogs are able to regulate glucose uptake and also reduce excessive glucose levels in the blood.
Four years after the injection the dogs which received both genes showed no signs of diabetes. The dogs exhibited normal body weight and did not appear to have any complications from the treatment. Dogs that had only received one of the two genes remained diabetic.
This treatment is not only a great discovery for our four legged friends but may also be important in the cure of diabetes in humans. It is important to note that the dogs in the study had pancreatic cells that had been destroyed by chemicals. In type one human diabetics the immune system attacks the pancreatic cells. However, scientists are still hopeful that further research on animals may result in a cure for humans.
Original Article- http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2013-02/gene-therapy-cures-diabetic-dogs
Related Article- http://www.the-scientist.com/?articles.view/articleNo/34394/title/Dogs-Cured-of-Type-1-Diabetes/
This is crazy! I am so excited to read about this, and keep up to date with any further research that is conducted on this topic. To think that there is a potential cure for diabetes, something that effects so many different people, is such a source of hope!
ReplyDeleteThe article was very interesting and provides hope for a human cure to diabetes. The only problem is that the dogs had pancreatic cells destroyed from the treatment. If a similar gene therapy was to be used in humans, scientists would need to find a way for the treatment to have less of a negative impact on pancreatic cells.
ReplyDeleteThis is a great article and even greater discovery. Even though they only found it to work in dogs and mice, it makes it hopeful that one day they will be able to figure out a way to cure it in humans. Hopefully one day scientist will be able to transfer this information to humans and cure this horrible disease that affects so many people.
ReplyDeleteI did a similar post about this! It's really good to hear that they found a cure for dogs it makes me feel more positive about a cure for humans with diabetes.
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