'Fat Mice' Studies May Lead To Effective Diabetes Treatment

Filed in archive Research on October 29, 2006

The invention of a drug designed to prolong the lives of obese mice may be the key to an effective diabetes treatment.

Researchers have used a single compound to increase the lifespan of obese mice, and found that the drug reversed nearly all of the changes in gene expression patterns found in mice on high calorie diets,some of which are associated with diabetes, heart disease, and other significant diseases related to obesity. The research, led by investigators at Harvard Medical School and the National Institute on Aging, is the first time that the small molecule resveratrol has been shown to offer survival benefits in a mammal.

The drug, resveratrol, eliminated most of the health problems experienced by the mice. Researchers believe this may offer hope for Type 2 diabetics, who often experience excess weight. You can read the rest of this interesting study here.

(Photo Source: Disease Proof)