A new scientific discovery has refined the medical community's understanding of how type 1 diabetes works. Scientists are now using the information to come up with better ways to treat and prevent the chronic condition.
The Last Piece Of The Puzzle
In a study published on the Diabetes journal, a research group at the University of Lincoln in England claimed they have discovered the last critical target that the immune system errantly attacks in patients with type 1 diabetes. Dr. Michael Christie, the study's lead researcher, believes scientists now have "the complete picture" when trying to develop a cure for type 1 diabetes.
"Once the immune system decides it wants to get rid of something it's very hard to stop, so diabetes has proved to be a difficult disease to prevent," Christie told BBC News. "So we're hoping that, by having identified the major targets in the disease, we can find ways to prevent it by blocking the immune response to these five proteins without leaving that person vulnerable to infections."
Previous studies show there were five critical targets the immune system attacked. However, identifying them hasn't been easy over the years. Prior to this recent discovery, scientists have been searching for the last critical target for over two decades.
Now, scientists have identified the targets as insulin, glutamate decarboxylase, IA-2, zinc transporter-8 and finally, tetraspanin-7. The ones with numbers are involved in the production and conservation of insulin in the body.
Diabetes Continues Fatal Streak In The US
Diabetes.org reported that almost 10 percent of Americans have diabetes. Roughly 1.4 million Americans are diagnosed with the chronic condition each year.
It's also one of the top 10 leading causes of death in the US. Approximately 70,000 death certificates in the country list diabetes as the main cause of death. Meanwhile, 234,051 death certificates cite diabetes as a contributing cause of death.
