Could this be the solution for people with diabetes? Is it possible to replace the insulin shots with something better? Or is this just a far-fetched idea?
According to the latest research on the gene-editing tool, CRISPR gains more and more prove each day. This kind of research keeps on advancing as the years go by. So what have they found so far?
Experiments show that the CRISPR may have the ability to control the release of insulin while at the same it controls diabetes. Researchers experimented on mice and concluded that the mice lost weight and became more resistant to insulin, especially with type 2 diabetes.
Furthermore, the same method could be useful for treating various genetic and metabolic conditions as well, according to the University of Chicago. Plus, the use of skin cells can activate various chemical reactions in the system.
Even though this sounds like a cure for diabetes, it is far from it. But, it may prove as a way to treat and balance the conditions and problems caused by it in the long term.
According to Xiaoyang Wu, one of the researchers who participated in the study, this kind of treatment may help people with diabetes control their glucose level with the use of skin epidermal stem cells.
How Does it Work?
This new gene treatment CRISPR is an unusual invention that can edit specific genes inside the body. These are the genes that we inherit, so, some of them can cause various problematic conditions.
Therefore, there is a possibility that this treatment can treat any DNA viruses, HIV, or cancer cells.
In fact, this gene-editing tool may change the hormones, especially the one called GLP-1 (or glucagon-like peptide-1). This is how this treatment may be able to control the insulin and glucose level in the body. Besides, this tool can last longer and produce lasting results.
In addition, there are approximately 80% of successful hormones were edited together with the blood glucose and insulin resistance. Therefore, this experiment proved to be successful. Even Wu stated that this was the longest time the treatment managed to work and produced results.
However, the same gene-editing tool may prove more problematic for humans, but researchers won’t stop there. They managed to create skin tissue from stem cells to solve this problem.
Also, this same treatment may be beneficial for treating hemophilia, a condition where a person can’t create their own blood clots. Besides, if the body can’t create a certain tissue or cell, this gene-editing tool may prove useful.
But if it really works for people with diabetes, this could be the end of the painful insulin injections. A scientist, Timothy Kieffer from the University of British Columbia in Canada, believes that this is highly possible.
All we have to do is wait and see, maybe in the near future insulin injections will become a thing of the past.
Source: Science Alert | EurekAlert | WebMD | New Scientist | Horizon
