Link Between Type 1 Diabetes And Nerves

Filed in archive Research on December 13, 2006

More interesting developments in diabetes research.

From Med India:

It has been attested by all medical researchers that type I diabetes is caused due to breakdown in the immune system of the body. The flawed response from the immune system was understood to be the reason behind the damage caused to islet cells in the pancreas where insulin is produced.

A recent research conducted by Canadian scientists suggests that apart from immune system, the central nervous system also plays a key role in the development of Type 1 diabetes. Statistics show that200, 000 Canadians are estimated to suffer from diabetes. This disease may result in grave complications, including loss of vision, cardiovascular complications, amputation of limbs and kidney failure. In the studied done, laboratory mice were used that were already susceptible to Type 1 diabetes. The researchers discovered that there is a perceptible link between islet cells of pancreas, and the associated nerves that sense pain and other stimuli assonated with trauma. The researchers at the Hospital for Sick Children and the University of Calgary have postulated that without this control system normal function of islet cells cannot thrive. Dr. Michael Dosch,the lead researcher is an immunologist at Sick Kids Hospital. He explained that their findings reveal a closer link between sensory nerves and immune system than they had known existed earlier.