New type of anti-diabetic compound found

Scientists in the United States have identified a new type of anti-diabetic compound that could help people suffering from pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes manage their condition.
Researchers at the Scripps Research Institute in Florida have revealed that the new class of compound that has been designed as a target for a specific molecular switch, and which could lead to improved drug treatments for the metabolic condition.
The study, which was published in the journal Nature, hopes to develop the compound so that these treatments have offer less harmful side effects than some traditional therapies for diabetes.
Leader of the study, Professor Patrick R. Griffi, stated “This unique mechanism of action appears to significantly limit side effects associated with marketed drugs.”
In addition, one of the researchers, Bruce Spiegelma, commented on the study “It appears that we may have an opportunity to develop entire new classes of drugs for diabetes and perhaps other metabolic disorders.”
The breakthrough comes after another piece of research that was recently published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. This focused on the reasons why the mitochondria of cells becomes reduced in the skeletal muscle tissue of people that have diabetes.