Scientists from American universities at Yale and UCLA and the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research have achieved something that could revolutionize the treatment of diseases. diabetes: Successfully controlling blood sugar in laboratory animals without the use of drugs. To do this, they stimulated neural networks in the animals’ livers with focused ultrasound.
The entire study was published in the journal Nature Biomedical Engineering and the team was led by GE Research, an innovation arm of General Electric.
The treatment, designed to combat type 2 diabetes, a condition in which there is too much sugar in the blood and the hormone insulin is deficient, has already worked in rats, mice and pigs, and there is hope it could even reverse the disease. .
Peripheral focused ultrasound stimulation (pFUS) directs high-concentration ultrasound pulses to specific areas of liver tissue.
The research team explained to its website New Atlas that the selected region contains the hepatoportal nerve plexus, which is responsible for carrying information about glucose and nutrient status from the body to the brain.
Just three minutes of concentrated ultrasound per day was sufficient to maintain normal blood sugar levels in diabetic mice.
Management of diabetes in humans
Now researchers are testing the feasibility of treating a group of people with type 2 diabetes in humans, and preliminary results are expected later this year.
If the strategy proves viable, it could be the start of a new era of diabetes management without drugs, blood glucose control tests or insulin injections.
But there are still other challenges: available ultrasound tools are scarce and require trained technicians. But the team claims it has the technology to simplify and automate the system so patients can treat at home.
Until the method is tested and developed, adopting a healthy lifestyle is the most effective way to prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes.
Matter: nature – https://www.nature.com/articles/s41551-022-00870-w.
Source: Tec Mundo
I am Bret Jackson, a professional journalist and author for Gadget Onus, where I specialize in writing about the gaming industry. With over 6 years of experience in my field, I have built up an extensive portfolio that ranges from reviews to interviews with top figures within the industry. My work has been featured on various news sites, providing readers with insightful analysis regarding the current state of gaming culture.
