Leptin, a hormone generated by fat cells, has been found to manage the activities of the IGFBP2 gene in the liver, opening new avenues of research for diabetes treatment beyond insulin. Pharmaceutical companies are studying how to deliver the hormone into a patient’s system, but concerns remain about its effect on eating patterns, blood sugar levels, and other functions. Some experts question whether leptin-based therapy will help people with type 2 diabetes.
Preliminary studies in mice have shown that small amounts of the hormone leptin can manage the activities of the insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-2 (IGFBP2) gene in the liver. Many experts consider this important, because for decades medical professionals have believed that the only treatment for diabetes is insulin. Various pharmaceutical companies and medical researchers for some diabetes foundations are exploring the link between leptin and diabetes in hopes of finding a treatment for insulin resistant patients.
In 1994, Dr. Jeffery Friedman discovered leptin. His research revealed that the hormone, which is generated by fat cells, helps the brain’s hypothalamus determine how hungry a person is. Other studies have shown that leptin treatments in mice helped correct high blood sugar and low insulin levels.
Scientists linked diabetes and insulin deficiency in 1921. Since then, attention has focused primarily on insulin as a treatment for diabetes. However, the discovery of leptin and its effect on the IGFBP2 gene has opened new avenues of research.
The first study of leptin’s effect on mice genetically altered mice. Scientists had engineered the mice to be deficient in leptin. Many experts consider this important because they argue that most diabetics have normal leptin levels. Most doctors don’t know what effect too much leptin would have on a person. As of 2011, pharmaceutical companies are studying how to use leptin in people who have normal levels of the hormone.
Some of the questions the researchers hope to answer about leptin and diabetes include how to deliver the hormone into a patient’s system. A research team is testing a pump delivery method, a technique used by scientists on mice. Other concerns include that mice have different eating patterns than humans and that leptin may make it harder for diabetics to recognize episodes of low blood sugar. Medical professionals are also interested in how leptin-based treatments will affect other functions in which leptin is involved, such as appetite and menstrual cycles.
The different eating patterns of mice and people have some medical researchers concerned about leptin and diabetes treatments. Mice eat slow-digesting foods throughout the day, while people tend to eat larger meals less frequently. People also often choose foods high in refined grains and sugars.
Some medical experts warn that the extra leptin can affect the symptoms that diabetics use to recognize falling blood sugar levels. It is very important for diabetics to monitor their glucose levels through personal observations of things like dizziness levels. Many wonder if the hormone will make it harder for a person’s low blood sugar to rise.
Another problem with a proposed leptin-based therapy is that many experts question whether it will help people with type 2 diabetes. Statistics show that 90 to 95 percent of diabetics have type 2. Pharmaceutical companies and other medical researchers they are continuing to study leptin and diabetes, appetite suppression, and menstrual cycle complications.
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