Diabetes

Of the many healthcare issues facing the world today, diabetes is amonth the most prevalent and costly. The condition affects approximately 180 million people globally and accounts for over $100 billion of the healthcare spending in the United States alone¹. Beyond appropriately managing their diabetes on a daily basis, individuals with diabetes also face numerous secondary complications which can result in loss of eyesight or limb amputation. It is clear that finding a cure for diabetes is an important step to improving global health.

Diabetes occurs when the body loses its ability to appropriately regulate the levels of sugar in the blood. Normally, two molecules fine-tune blood glucose levels: insulin, which stimulates the storage of sugar, and glucagon, which triggers the release of sugar when blood sugar levels drop. Both insulin and glucagon are produced in the pancreas in islets of Langerhans (commonly referred to as islets). In patients with diabetes, the insulin portion of this process ceases to function normally.

Diabetes arises in one of two forms. Type I diabetes (formerly known as juvenile diabetes) comes about when the insulin-producing cells within islets stop functioning. This loss of function causes a complete loss of insulin in the body. Type II diabetes (formerly known as late-onset diabetes) occurs for a variety of reasons including loss of sensitivity to insulin. For individuals with Type I, the condition can be managed through injections of synthetically-produced insulin. Diabetes in Type II patients, on the other hand, is typically managed through carefully formulated diet and exercise plans. For everyone with diabetes, however, management is a tedious and life-long process, leaving researchers and healthcare providers alike looking for a better solution to the problem.

1. World Health Organization Fact Sheet No. 312; Merani, Shaheed and Shapiro, A.M. Current status of pancreatic islet transplantation, Clinical Science (2006).