Does the semi-aquatic egg-laying mammal of eastern Australia known as the platypus hold the secret to treating type 2 diabetes? Well, a new study from the University of Adelaide in Australia is investigating the potential of platypus venom as a potential means of treating the disease. The research, published in the journal Scientific Report notes that the same hormone to regulate blood glucose GLP-1 produced in the gut of human is also produced in the gut of the platypus and their venom.
“This is an amazing example of how millions of years of evolution can shape molecules and optimize their function,” commented co-lead author Professor Frank Grutzner, from the University of Adelaide’s School of Biological Sciences and the Robinson Research Institute. “These findings have the potential to inform diabetes treatment, one of our greatest health challenges, although exactly how we can convert this finding into a treatment will need to be the subject of future research,” Grutzner said the longer lifespan of the hormone found in the animal venom raised the potential to develop drugs that extend the release of insulin in type 2 diabetes patients. “This will prove useful for biomedical research, as there is a lot of potential there. The hormone is central to metabolic control.”
The hormone secreted in the gut of both humans and animals tends to degrade within minutes. As a consequence, the short stimulus triggered by the hormone is insufficient to maintain proper blood sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes. To help manage this, a medication that includes a longer-lasting form of the hormone is used to extend the body’s release of insulin.
Because the hormone found in the platypus’ venom doesn’t degrade as rapidly, researchers are optimistic that this hormone will lead to the development of new drugs to manage diabetes in humans.
Due to the stability of the GLP-1 in the venom, the researchers are looking into its potential as a new treatment for type 2 diabetes. The researchers are now finding out ways to convert their findings into possible commercial treatment for type 2 diabetes.
