A newly discovered group of lipids, which are released from fat cells, has shown promising results in studies treating mice with diabetes. The research, which was highlighted in the leading journal Cell, will be further developed by researchers at the Sahlgrenska Academy.
The researchers in Gothenburg found the same disorder in individuals with a great hereditary risk of developing type 2 diabetes long before diabetes actually develops and also showed that the same disorder is present once type 2 diabetes has developed. The reason for why this is linked to insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes has been unclear so far, but it may be explained by a defect in the ability to form these new lipids in the adipose tissue.
Harvard researchers have now used new analyses to identify a new group of lipids which, when they are extracted from the fat tissue, stimulate the release of insulin in the body. In trials, the researchers used mice with diabetes, it was demonstrated that these lipids have the ability to reduce the blood glucose levels.
Ulf Smith at the Lundberg Laboratory for Diabetes Research and Jan Boren at the Wallenberg Laboratory have now expanded the research in terms of its effects, if it can be used to identify who will develop type 2 diabetes in the future, and if they can ultimately develop a new treatment for type 2 diabetes in the future.
“The lipids that we have now discovered, or more precisely, the esters that the fatty acids that the cells contain and release into the bloodstream, could be used as a goal for future medication. What makes the discovery extra interesting is that the lipids can also be found in certain foods. Therefore, we are proceeding by also analyzing which foods contain these lipids,” says Ulf Smith.
The discoveries were presented in the journal Cell on October 9, and are the subject of an editorial in the same issue.
Link to the journal: http://www.cell.com/