Fluctuations in the composition and diversity of the gut microbial community can affect organismal health in various ways. Low microbial diversity in the gut can increase a person’s susceptibility to potential pathogens, such as Salmonella spp. And changes in the balance between the two bacterial taxa most prominent in the gut, Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes, areContinueContinue reading “A signal that shifts gut microbial composition”
Tag Archives: diabetes
Using nanoparticles to teach immune tolerance
Autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis and type 1 diabetes are the third largest cause of morbidity and mortality in the US. In these and other autoimmune diseases, immune cells mistakenly attack and destroy healthy tissue; in the case of multiple sclerosis, the target is myelin, which creates the protective sheath around nerve cells. AsContinueContinue reading “Using nanoparticles to teach immune tolerance”
Treating diabetes with fewer side effects
Thiazolidinediones are used to treat type 2 diabetes by targeting the insulin resistance that characterizes the disease through activation of the receptor PPARγ. This improves insulin sensitivity but also contributes to side effects such as weight gain, edema, increased risk of bone fractures and, for certain drugs, organ toxicity and cardiovascular problems. Such side effectsContinueContinue reading “Treating diabetes with fewer side effects”
Modeling type 2 diabetes on the fly
The incidence of type 2 diabetes is increasing rapidly in the US, making it a major public health concern and the focus of much biomedical research. Insulin resistance, a hallmark of type 2 diabetes, is linked to obesity and poor diet. Until now, researchers have relied primarily on rodent models for investigations of the mechanismsContinueContinue reading “Modeling type 2 diabetes on the fly”
‘Switching on’ transcription
Controlling gene expression in vivo forms the basis for genetic engineering for research and therapeutic purposes. Recently, Haifeng Ye and Martin Fussenegger (Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zurich, Basel, Switzerland) reported their success in developing a light-driven, synthetic biology mechanism to control transcription. To prove that the technique has therapeutic potential, they used it to control insulinContinueContinue reading “‘Switching on’ transcription”
Thirty-seven strawberries a day?
The old adage “an apple a day keeps the doctor away” may have a new star: strawberries. Thirty-seven of them, actually. That’s how many a person might need to eat each day to reap the benefits of the fruit, as reported recently in PLoS One (6, e21226; 2011. The report discussed how fisetin, a compoundContinueContinue reading “Thirty-seven strawberries a day?”
Toward a cure for diabetes
Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease that affects at least 171 million people worldwide. Many people with diabetes are dependent on insulin and must take daily injections to regulate the levels of glucose in their blood. Failure to control blood glucose levels can result in various acute and long-term complications that can have severe healthContinueContinue reading “Toward a cure for diabetes”
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