Research at the University of Michigan shows that zinc may help alleviate or stop cellular damage from type 2 diabetes. The research appears in the Journal of Molecular Biology.
In normal people, a careful balance is maintained in the pancreas between leveles of zinc and levels of a protein called amylin. When the correct amount of each molecule is present in the body, the amylin actually helps regulate blood sugar.
Ayyalusamy Ramamoorthy, professor of biophysics and chemistry at the University of Michigan said, “Amylin is helpful because zinc acts like a security guard at a rock concert, whose job is to keep fans from turning troublesome and destructive."
(Image courtesy of UM)
The pancreas of type 2 diabetes patients, however, have extremely low levels of zinc. This causes amylin to clump together, forming long ribbon-like structures called fibrils, ultimately shutting down insulin-producing cells.
These clumps and fibrils of amylin are associated with many degenerative diseases including Alzheimer's, Huntington's, and Parkinson's.
The research was done in a controlled, artificial environment. In living organisms, zinc levels are in constant fluctuation. Ramamoorthy wants to conduct more research in conditions that mimic a natural environment.
The results from the study will hopefully help speed the development of metal-based therapies and treatments for type 2 diabetes.
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