Appetite Hormone May Be Key To Insulin Production

Filed in archive Research on January 26, 2007

The research never stops. Which, when dealing with something as pervasive as diabetes, is a very good thing.

The latest news uncovers the "appetite hormone's" effect on insulin production:

A new Joslin Diabetes Center-led study has shown conclusively that a neuropeptide, melanin concentrating hormone (MCH), found in the brain and known for its role in increasing appetite in people, plays a role in the growth of insulin-producing beta cells and the secretion of insulin. This finding has the potential to spur the development of new treatments for diabetes that stimulate the production of insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas. This latest research, conducted with researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston and other institutions, will appear in the February 2007 issue of Diabetes.

Maybe there's a light at the end of the tunnel for many diabetics after all.