TOKYO (Sputnik) – Scientists in South Korea are one step closer to developing a new treatment for diabetes, the YTN TV channel reports.
A group of specialists from the Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB) and the University of Science and Technology (UST) in Daejeon have discovered a new microRNA molecule that could potentially regulate insulin production in humans, the South Korean YTN said.
The molecule was found in the Drosophila fruit fly and was tested on human cells in laboratory conditions.
"Despite the fact that in a laboratory fly or human cell culture one can regulate genes, there is still a long way to go before real therapy," Gusev told RIA Novosti on Saturday.
The researcher admitted that the new discovery could lead to a better understanding of DNA mechanisms, but stressed that the microRNA molecule cannot be used in direct diabetes treatment as it is "virtually impossible" to transplant microRNAs from an external environment into the human body.
Diabetes is caused by a deficiency of insulin (a hormone produced by the pancreas) or a lack of proper insulin response in a human body. The disease leads to high blood sugar levels that can cause cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney failure and stroke, if left untreated.
People with type 1 diabetes keep their blood sugar under control with the use of insulin injections. Type 2 diabetes may be treated with or without insulin medications.
