Scientists cure Type 1 diabetes in dogs
In a world where sugar is a very common ingredient in many of our foods, including many that it shouldn't even be in, diabetes has become a serious and dangerous threat to people’s health. Currently, insulin injections and close blood-sugar monitoring are the primary ways to keep this disease at bay. Now, however, it looks like a group of Spanish scientists may be on to something that could change that in the future. They have managed, by using gene therapy, to cure type 1 diabetes in test dogs.
The study involved inducing diabetes in five young beagles and then using gene therapy to correct the problem. By introducing changes to the dogs’ biology, the scientists were able to return them to normal function, being able to regulate and produce insulin normally.
After several years of monitoring, it was confirmed that the dogs’ DNA had indeed been altered and that the problem of diabetes was no longer present. The full details of the study, along with the more complicated science of it all, can be found at the Diabetes online journal, for those interested.
This is a continuing process whereby mice were the first test subjects. Stem cell injections helped to cure the mice of diabetes, although mice were simply the baseline. The curing of the disease in a larger creature is a major breakthrough in what scientists may be able to do in developing a cure for human beings.
The next step in the process will be to test the therapy within more natural conditions. The initial testing dealt with several control factors, including an altered version of diabetes and keeping the dogs within tightly controlled conditions.
By allowing the dogs to live normal lives, researchers can determine if their bodies will be able to handle the gene therapy properly under the day-to-day stresses of routine activity, a factor that greatly influences glucose levels. They will also be looking toward test subjects with naturally occurring diabetes rather than inducing the disease.
Eventually, this may lead to human test subjects which, if successful, could spell the end of this disease during our lifetimes. Being able to cure a dog may not seem like much, but it still an amazing first step in conquering this disease and yet another success in using gene therapy as a treatment.
Insulin photo courtesy of PerPlex via Wikicommons