New Possible Treatments for Diabetic Neuropathy Thanks to New Discoveries

According to American researchers, there may be a way to improve the nerve damage in those with diabetes. Scientists from the Case Western Reserve University's School of Medicine believe that their results can lead to new therapies that may be able to treat diabetic neuropathy. They are now able to understand what happens with the molecule cytokines and how it allows the cells to communicate. Moreover, scientists believe that this molecule is the key to making this treatment work. In addition, it will inspire the healing process to become faster for people who have this problem. This condition is a result of high glucose, and it causes nerve damage and bad circulation.

Why are Cytokines Important?

Further, studies have shown that mice with diabetes type 1 are not able to fix the damaged cells in their nerves. They even have lower levels of cytokines, a type that belongs to the gp130 family. So, if they are able to replace these molecules, they could repair the nerve damage. Another study led by Prof. Richard Zigmond claims that if we focus on the cytokine pathway, we may reduce some of the complications. Diabetes causes these complications. He tested his theories and possibilities with animals. He concluded that the cytokines and nerve tissues are closely related to each other and they can have an effect on the regeneration process. In the beginning, scientists were not able to conclude why the cytokines helped with the overall nerve damage caused by diabetes. Even though these are the results derived from animal testing, the details about how the gp130 cytokines can accelerate the healing process of the nerves still remain unconcluded. There are still teams that explore the possibilities and effectiveness of a certain treatment, and how it can affect those with diabetes type 2. Besides, it is important to know whether these findings can also apply to diabetes type 2. Source: PPM | NCBI | Mayo Clinic