This new category of fatty acids produced by the human body could lead to new treatments for diabetes.
Researchers have discovered new fatty acids with novel properties: they protect against diabetes. Indeed, the authors of this work found that by giving these fatty acids to laboratory mice genetically modified to develop the equivalent of human adult diabetes (type 2), these rodents had a reduction in their high blood sugar level. . At the same time, these researchers also determined that people with very low levels of these fatty acids had a very high risk of diabetes.
This discovery could be used for therapeutic purposes against diabetes, believe these scientists from the Salk Institute in La Jolia, California and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) in Boston (Massachusetts), authors of this discovery. Fatty acids are lipids, that is to say the fat of living things. In excess, they can lead to the onset of cardiovascular disease, but researchers have discovered in recent years certain lipids – including these new fatty acids, but also the Omega 3 found in oily fish and certain cereals – with excellent health benefits. .
“These fatty acids are amazing because they can also reduce inflammation, which suggests that, besides diabetes, we could discover possibilities of using these molecules to fight chronic inflammations, such as Crohn’s disease or arthritis” , notes Dr Barbara Kahn, Vice-President of the Faculty of Medicine at BIDMC, the lead author of this study published online in the journal Cell.
Worldwide, 2.5 million people are said to be diabetics, 92% of which are type 2. The development of this disease is due in particular to poor eating habits and an increasingly sedentary daily life.
Half of diabetics die from cardiovascular disease. Between 10 and 20% of Europeans die of kidney failure, 10% develop severe visual impairment and 50% suffer from diabetic neuropathy.
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