Canadian team makes stunning diabetic breakthrough
Banting and Best
In the 1920’s, two University of Toronto researchers, Banting and Best, made the discovery of insulin which became one of the most revolutionary moments in medicine.
Two months ago, Canadian researchers published another revolutionary finding which will open the door to a potential near-cure of diabetes that affects millions of people around the world. For the first time, they have found a strong link between diabetes, pain nerves, and inflammation.
“In a discovery that has stunned even those behind it, Canadian researchers say they have proof the body’s nervous system helps trigger diabetes type I. Diabetic mice became healthy virtually overnight after researchers injected a neuropeptide to counteract the effect of malfunctioning pain neurons in the pancreas.”
“I couldn’t believe it,” said Dr. Michael Salter, a University of Toronto neuroscientist at the Hospital for Sick Children and one of the team leaders. “Mice with diabetes suddenly didn’t have diabetes any more.”
The team was able to prevent and even reverse diabetes by modulating the neuroinflammatory mechanism without any serious side effects. This mechanism will be further investigated as a possible cause to other autoimmune diseases and may well lead to new treatments and diagnoses for other neuropathic diseases.
Further reading:
- Canadian team cracks type I diabetes code - National Review of Medicine, January 15, 2007.
- Canadian scientists reverse diabetes in mice - CBC, December 15, 2006
- TRPV1+ Sensory Neurons Control β Cell Stress and Islet Inflammation in Autoimmune Diabetes - Cell, December 15, 2006
- If you like history, check out Banting’s original desk in the hallway of the MaRS corporate offices.
Lincoln Kim is a member of the healthcare and life sciences team of the MaRS Venture Group. He evaluates and supports the development of technology platforms and commercial market opportunities of start up and emerging companies, facilitates collaboration among research groups and between research scientists and industry.
Did they patent it? Who owns the rights? I’d imagine Innovations wouldn’t permit such a disclosure without doing so first, but stranger things have happened.
I somehow doubt they will follow in the footsteps of Banting and Best, selling the rights for $1, making it accessible to all. Gone are the days of such nobility me thinks.
Posted by: Kevin @ MaRS on February 16th, 2007 at 6:12 pm
[…] The MaRS Blog has a captivating story of Canada’s recent major diabetes discovery. The first discovery, in 1920, elucidated insulin’s central role in diabetes. The most recent discovery, also from the University of Toronto, has found a strong link between diabetes, pain nerves, and inflammation. Researchers were able to prevent and even reverse diabetes in mice modulating the neuroinflammatory mechanism without any serious side effects. […]
Posted by: Biotech Blog » Blog Archive » Carnival of Biotechnology on February 18th, 2007 at 2:49 pm
Word on the street is that aspects of the research are in the patent process. Depending on the policies at Sickkids, I’m guessing that Sickkids would own at least part and the rest might be shared between the assignees.
Posted by: Lincoln @ MaRS on February 20th, 2007 at 3:05 pm
[…] The most interesting aspect to this discovery is that cells in the brain and pancreas share many markers. This means that research done in the neuroscience space may be increasingly implemented for diabetes. Neurogenic mechanisms have already been implicated in curing diabetes which will begin clinical testing soon (see previous MaRS blog, “Canadian Team Makes Stunning Diabetic Breakthrough”). […]
Posted by: MaRS Blog - Innovation and Commercialization in Canada » Blog Archive » Predicting Diabetes With New Imaging Tracer on June 29th, 2007 at 11:34 am