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Significant discovery in the fight against diabetes
05/Oct/2006: In a breakthrough that could provide relief to millions of diabetics, researchers at the Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery at Auckland University, New Zealand, have decoded the structure of a molecule, which might help in the development of a new type of drug for diabetes. They decoded the molecule, by mapping the atomic structure of myoinositol oxygenase (MIOX), a key enzyme, which regulates our body’s sugar metabolism.
This discovery could aid the scientists at the Wilkins Centre to develop a new class of drug, which could help in the treatment of diabetes. The details of this new discovery are outlined in the American Journal ‘Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences’.
Diabetes is known to be associated with changes in inositol metabolism, within the body (Inositol is a cyclic polyalcohol, which plays and important role in relaying signals within a cell). MIOX is the only enzyme, which helps in regulating inositol levels in the body, by breaking down the inositol compounds.
High levels of MIOX, which leads to the reduction of inositol levels in the body, is known to cause hyperglycemia (a condition in which the glucose circulating in the blood plasma, increases substantially) and persistence of hyperglycemia can lead to diabetes mellitus.
With the structure of MIOX, now known to scientists, they can use rational drug design and medicinal biochemistry to develop new drugs, which will control the activity of MIOX in the body. Controlling the levels of MIOX in the body will normalize inositol levels and reduce the glucose in the blood plasma, lowering the effects of diabetes.
Ted Baker, director of the Wilkins Centre, said that this new discovery by his team is evidence to the multidisciplinary approach of the centre. He added that by acquiring more knowledge on biological mechanisms, diabetes can be treated and prevented more effectively, in future. Wilkins Centre is currently working with its partner, Industrial Research Centre, to use the knowledge gained through this new discovery, in developing drugs for treatment of diabetes in future.
Diabetes is estimated to kill four million people worldwide, every year and remains as a major health problem around the world.
K Siva
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