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New Type2 Diabetes Treatment May Provide A Cure

Posted by timothy on from the bobby-shaftoe's-pal dept.

rusty0101 writes "Over at HealthDay, they have an article noting how a new trial drug for Type2 Diabetes may also help provide a cure to diabetes. Its primary benefit is that it does not have the side effect of causing weight gain; in fact on average people in the trial lost 6.3 lb. Note, this isn't a great way to lose weight, but for many Type 2 diabetics, loosing weight can improve their condition." How comfortable would you be swallowing a drug made from Gila monster spit?

13 of 45 comments (clear)

  1. How Comfotable Would I be? by FlipmodePlaya · · Score: 4, Insightful

    'How comfortable would I be swallowing a drug made from Gila monster spit?'

    About as comfortable as I am eating Pig hoof, or whatever is supposed to be hot dogs, I suppose. It's not like they're going to market it as a 'Gila Saliva Supplement'...

    1. Re:How Comfotable Would I be? by Spudley · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Truly, if you are worried about taking drugs made from saliva, then you've got a nasty shock coming when you find out some of the other places we get pharmacuticals from.

      --
      (Spudley Strikes Again!)
    2. Re:How Comfotable Would I be? by NUBlackshirts · · Score: 2, Insightful

      If somebody told me I wouldn't have to take these damn shots the rest of my life, I would eat a whole friggin' Gila Monster!!!

  2. How comfortable would you be swallowing... by ForestGrump · · Score: 4, Informative

    a drug made from Gila monster spit?

    No, "it is a synthetic version of the hormone exendin-4, found in the saliva of the Gila monster..."

    Saying the drug is made from Gila monster spit is like saying Rogaine (hair growh thing) is made from rat urine...which it isn't. Rogaine is synthetic. The chemical its made from was originally discovered in rat urnie, however.

    -grump

    --
    Is it true that more people vote for the winner of American Idol, than vote for the president? -Ali G.
    1. Re:How comfortable would you be swallowing... by dmayle · · Score: 4, Interesting

      My aunt had her leg amputated. My father was ill in general, and died because he was lying in the wrong position. If I have to drink Gila semen to survive (my family has a history of Diabetes, and I'm doing everything to make sure I'm not trapped) I'LL DO IT. You'll find that a lot of our stupid little prejudices dissappear when your life is on the line... I just hope that a change in life practices means that I'm not subject to the same stupidities that did in my ancestores.

  3. Not made from spit by kayen_telva · · Score: 3, Informative

    "It is a synthetic version of the hormone exendin-4, found in the saliva of the Gila monster"

    Im not sure the poster RTFA. You wont have to eat Gila spit to get the cure.

  4. Re:Already cured... by kayen_telva · · Score: 4, Interesting

    my grandmother had type 2 diabetes and was nowhere near being "fat". Your "fuck em all" attitude works fine in nature, but to some extent humans have removed themselves from that reality. you can bitch and moan but reality trudges onward, research will be done, drugs will be developed, and people who would have otherwise died will live on to reproduce. I agree with your underlying idea/premise, but your apporach and demeanor leave something to be desired.

  5. Re:Already cured... by rusty0101 · · Score: 4, Informative

    I have friends who are in excelent shape, yet are still Type 2 diabetics. Just because the leading cause of Type 2 diabetes is obesity, does not mean that all people who have become type 2 diabetics are overweight.

    Type 2 diabeties has killed two uncles and an aunt of mine. So I have a reason to pay attention to the subject, and do what I can to stay healthy.

    I do partially agree with you. If you have aquired Type 2 Diabetes as a result of your choice in lifestyle, (over eating mostly) it is your responsibility to do whatever it takes to remedy the cause of your case. If that means get on a healty diet and exercise regime, then do that. No, it won't cure all your ills, but a large percentage of people who do loose weight, and correct their diet have a much more managable situation. At that point this treatment may even cure your condition. This treatment may also help you get to the better situation.

    -Rusty

    --
    You never know...
  6. duh by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

    "How comfortable would you be swallowing a drug made from Gila monster spit?"

    A better question: Who wouldn't swallow it if it meant the difference between life and death?

  7. Treatment not cure... by hung_himself · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Just a clarification, the article never claims it is a cure, just that it is a better drug to control the symptoms of type II diabetes with fewer side effects. It states that whether it actually stops the deterioration of islet cells in humans (which would be a cure) is not known though it does seem to do so in animals.

    Sounds reasonable and looks promising if true.

  8. Re:forget it... by Rob+Simpson · · Score: 4, Informative
    Or rather, their cells don't respond well enough to insulin.

    Type II diabetes can be treated with drugs that increase insulin release (sulfonylureas such as glyburide), drugs that reduce insulin resistance (the biguanide metformin and the new thiazolidinediones* such as rosiglitazone), and drugs that slow the breakdown of carbohydrates (acarbose).

    The drugs that increase insulin release can be very effective at first, but tend to become less so. These are the ones associated with weight gain. They also can cause hypoglycemia which can be dangerous.

    Metformin is old, cheap (generic), effective, and safe(r). It actually can cause some weight loss, and its main disadvantage is that it often causes dose-related diarrhea.

    Rosiglitazone is new, expensive, and very effective, though it can sometimes affect the liver. It causes some weight gain, but this is due to increased plasma volume (fluid retention).

    Acarbose has fairly modest benefits, but can be effective in people who get high glucose levels after a meal, but have low fasting levels, since it smooths out the spike in blood sugar.

    In Type II diabetics, the beta cells usually work overtime to produce enough insulin to have an effect on the resistant tissues and eventually fail - advanced cases may require insulin injections. If this drug does stimulate beta-cell division, it might delay or prevent this eventual impairment.

    *OK, I admit, I had to check the spelling on that.

  9. Cure DM Type 1 but not DM Type 2 by aswang · · Score: 2, Informative
    Ironically, because the root cause of Type 2 is insulin resistance in target tissues (and relative, but not absolute, insulin deficiency), increasing the number of beta-cells won't necessarily cure this disease. In contrast, in Type 1, the cause seems to be the autoimmune destruction of beta-cells (resulting in absolute insulin deficiency.) If caught early, and if you can figure out how to modulate the immune system (which has already been tried, and which alone does not seem to modify the course of the disease), then perhaps exenatide could be used to repopulate the pancreas.

    Still, even in Type 2, another treatment would be useful. Incidentally, metformin doesn't cause weight gain either, but exenatide would be useful if metformin fails or is not tolerable by the patient.

  10. Premarin by sysjkb · · Score: 4, Informative
    Probably the most famous example of a drug with an icky source is Premarin (R), a widely used estrogen replacement. It is made from pregnant mare's urine.

    WebMD has an article about "pharmazooticals" here. The gila monster drug makes an appearance.

    Sincerely yours,
    Jeffrey Boulier