A potential new drug class for diabetes type 2 treatment
Nature Medicine
October 6, 2014
A derivative of the drug niclosamide, currently used to treat parasitic worm infections, is now found to relieve diabetic complications in mouse models of type 2 diabetes, reports a paper published this week in Nature Medicine.
Niclosamide works by reducing the ability of parasitic worm’s mitochondria to synthesize ATP (cellular energy), thus inhibiting worm growth. Victor Jin and colleagues exploited this activity of the drug, using niclosamide ethanolamine (NEN), a salt form of niclosamide, to treat both a genetic and a dietary model of type 2 diabetes in mice. They found that NEN predominately accumulates in the liver and reduces the ability of the mitochondria in this organ to efficiently synthesis ATP. The lower cellular levels of ATP results in the activation of a signalling molecule, which signals the liver cells to increase the burning of stored fat.
A hallmark of type 2 diabetes is insulin resistance, in which cells fail to respond to insulin resulting in increased levels of blood glucose. Jin and colleagues report that the reduction of fat in the liver cells enabled them to respond to insulin and reduce levels of blood glucose. The increased intracellular fat burning in the liver of the treated mice also reduced the incidence of fatty liver, another common complication of type 2 diabetes.
doi: 10.1038/nm.3699
Research highlights
-
May 12
Geoscience: Monitoring earthquakes at the speed of lightNature
-
May 4
Microbiology: Bacteriophage therapy helps treat multi-drug resistant infection in an immunocompromised patientNature Communications
-
Apr 27
Planetary science: Building blocks of DNA detected in meteoritesNature Communications
-
Apr 8
Health: Psilocybin use associated with lower risk of opioid addictionScientific Reports
-
Apr 5
Energy: Winterizing the Texan energy infrastructure pays off in the long termNature Energy
-
Mar 17
Neuroscience: Sample size matters in studies linking brain scans to behaviourNature