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Researchers identify enzymes that turn on glucose production

Category: Diabetes

Researchers identify enzymes that turn on glucose production

Medications that suppress a particular gene may lead to healthier HbA1c test results for individuals with type 2 diabetes and improved blood sugar control, according to a new study published in the journal Cell.

Researchers from the Salk Institute for Biological Studies found that a set of enzymes called histone deacetylases, or HDACs, control a process in the liver that regulates glucose production. When these enzymes are activated, they instruct the liver to send more glucose into the bloodstream, leading to higher blood sugar levels.

The team believes that suppressing these enzymes in individuals with type 2 diabetes could lead to consistently lower blood sugar levels, producing improved HbA1c test results for those with the condition.

This approach could offer many benefits over current diabetes medications that work by stimulating trying to boost the effects insulin, the hormone that lowers blood sugar levels. Those who suffer from type 2 diabetes have become insensitive to the effects of insulin, and there may be no more possibility of the hormone helping them.

Going forward, the researchers expect to look for ways to block HDACs that are specifically involved in the process of glucose production.