The Link Hormone Between Obesity & Diabetes Identified

Description

A hormone produced by fat cells may be the culprit in type 2 diabetes.  In a study published in the journal Nature, researchers from the University of Pennsylvania say they may have identified the cause of the link between obesity and diabetes risk. Working with mice, the researchers found a hormone they called "resistin." The hormone, produced by fat cells, caused tissues to resist insulin.  Mice who were given resistin could not process blood sugar as well as the others, the researchers found.  They also found that when mice were given a drug to lower resistin levels, they were able to process blood sugar and use insulin better.  There is genetic evidence that humans also produce this hormone, although it hasn't been isolated and its exact purpose in not known, The Associated Press reports.  If human fat cells do produce resistin, it could explain who obesity is such a strong risk factor for type 2 (adult-onset) diabetes, the AP says.  The AP quotes other researchers as saying the findings could lead to new, targeted drugs to treat diabetes.  The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health.    

Source: Pharmabiz, Janaury, 2001