Cure for diabetes discovered?

[riffer]

Researchers in Toronto have released their findings last Friday and claim to have discovered the cause of diabetes, and a cure.

In layman's terms, the nerve cells in the pancreas have gone haywire. They send "pain" signals to the brain, which responds by shutting down the pancreas.

Injecting a solution made from refined chili peppers (pure capsaicin) into the nerve cells stops they transmitting.

Result - the islet cells start producing insulin again.

A side-effect as well seems to be reduction of insulin resistance (the cause of Type II Diabetes).

Most of you probably don't give a shit about this, but I'm bloody excited.

[sAsLEX]

REPOST
http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/sh...light=diabetes

[steved]

If it bears out, while be a major break-through. The disease is so wide-spread.

[MrMelon]

Yeah it's good innit. Over the next few years I think we'll be seeing some pretty large medical advances.

[James Deuce]

Over the next few years I think we'll be seeing some pretty large medical advances.

With no subsequent advance in ethics.
As usual.

[riffer]

Ethics? Sorry, I hadn't noticed the ethical problem.

Where's your concern?

[Edbear]

I think he was generalising.

I agree it sounds promising, hope it bears out.

[Dai]

With no subsequent advance in ethics.
As usual.

Just wait. Some drug company will Patent the pancreas and all medications for such. Thereby ensuring their continued profitablity.

The govenment wont fund the drug unless you are already dead and then they can remove you from their list as you hadnt shown up for your appointment.

Those persons with money or power will stockpile the drug (as with the bird flu serum) so as to enable them to continue doing what they do best, playing god.

Sound cynical?

I think I am.

It would be great if this line of research actually became a benifit to everyone who suffers from this disease but I dont trust those persons in charge to think this way

[riffer]

You can't patent a body part AFAIK.

As for not funding drugs, do you have any idea how much they spend a month to keep me in insulin?

Maybe I should start growing chillies in the backyard now...

[skelstar]

I hope for your sake riff that it trundles along quickly. I climbed (alpine and rock) with a guy whos pancreas was completely useless...it was a mission to maintain his bloody-sugar levels to the point where he could peform to his capabilites...a very big deal on rock.

What are the implications with motorcycling riff?

[James Deuce]

You can't patent a body part AFAIK.

As for not funding drugs, do you have any idea how much they spend a month to keep me in insulin?

Maybe I should start growing chillies in the backyard now...

The Pharmaceutical companies have an investment in keeping you insulin dependent. They will only change to an organic remedy if a pharmaceutical company controls and packages it and they can make yet more money from it. The last thing a pharmaceutical company wants for any disease or syndrome is a cure.

They will begin work on synthesising the compound so it can be given a multi-syllabic unpronounceable name and marketed to drug buying agencies the planet over. It will be so expensive it will only be available to hospital bound diabetics. It will take a great deal more time than it needs to to develop so they can keep making money from Insulin.

The ethics comment wasn't directed at you or diabetics in general in any way.

[riffer]

What are the implications with motorcycling riff?

Been covered many times here on the site and elsewhere.

Basically, as I keep my blood sugar levels pretty much under control - Hba1c levels are relatively normal - hba1c measures the glucose that clings to the red blood cells, which gives you a good measurement of how good your blood sugar has been over the last 90 days, as blood cells are replaced every 90 day - I'm okay.

However, as my drivers licence is under medical endorsement, my doctor can revoke my driving licence any time if he feels I'm a danger.

If I had a hypo on the bike, I could crash and die. So I make sure I don't. Suits my paranoid personality.

[Paul in NZ]

This sounds very good news indeed.

There is usually a long long time between a 'discovery' and it becoming a widely accepted medical procedure BUT I'm hopeful for a 'cure' (people have been very careful about using the cure word around type 1 diabetics) before knob rot sets in...

I'm not sure it would change my life - but it may lengthen it and I may avoid some of the more shitful complications later in life.

Paul N

edit - only ever had a hypo on the bike once - scared me shitless once I figured out why I was struggling with the bike.... Still don't know why they happen sometimes but like Riffer - I have not had any real issues with the bike....

[Winston001]

That is fascinating and really good news - thanks Riffer for the post.

Just an observation about pharmaceutical companies and this possible cure: scientists don't do research just to fill in long lonely evenings. And research costs time and money - hospitals/universities etc don't provide free laboratories.

So scientific research is usually carried out because someone provides money to fund it. Often this is a pharmaceutical company and if so, then they may own the results. Or to get the discovered treatment through FDA trials, the researchers will partner with a drug company which takes the financial risk and then markets the drug, if in fact it works.

I have a mate who has worked on arthritis research for 20 years. Tens of millions have been spent by his employer - the result? Nadda.

So it is entirely likely that an established pharmaceutical company will sell this treatment and at a profit. Why not?

[crashe]

Will this help both Type 1 and Type 2?

Or is mainly for one type?

Riffer and Paul in NZ will be the mains ones to answer that.....

Its just that I know two other people with Type 1.