Over the past few years, it seems like doctors have found some pretty remarkable uses for the anti-wrinkle injection, Botox. It has been used for the treatment of migraines, to shut down overactive sweat glands, and now it might just be the connection between Type 2 Diabetes and a cure. According to a new study, this drug might just be a way for doctor’s to better understand the disease.
The connection is lies within a specific type of protein called SNARE (Soluble NSF Attachment Protein Receptor) which shut down as diabetes progresses. While researchers do not yet fully understand SNARE proteins and how they dictate the levels of insulin to be released, they do know that Botox helps target these specific proteins in the pancreas which control the body’s insulin levels. According to Dr. Colin Rickerman at Heriot-Watt University, “This could lead to new methods of diagnosis, prevention of the cells’ failure that leads to diabetes and also treatments for type 2 diabetes.”
The severe struggle with type 2 diabetes is that the cells do not respond properly to hormone insulin which is required to transport sugar (glucose) into other cells. While Botox may not be the cure for type 2 diabetes, there are still many things one can do if they suffer from the disease while researchers look for a cure. For starters, exercise regularly, it is also recommended that you put a healthy diet in place for yourself; meditation and taking natural supplements are also ways to reduce insulin resistance.
