<p>Researchers from Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Mandi have found that the treatment drugs for opioid addiction can reverse some of the adverse effects of type 2 diabetes.</p>.<p>The team has unravelled the mechanism by which insulin overload in the body causes insulin resistance that is associated with diabetes.</p>.<p>The results of the research work that was funded by the Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB) grant have recently been published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry.</p>.<p>"Insulin, a hormone produced by the pancreas, is used by cells to absorb glucose from the blood. Type 2 diabetes results when cells lose their ability to use insulin due to a variety of reasons. Insulin resistance is intricately linked to a condition called hyperinsulinemia, in which there is excess insulin traversing the bloodstream. The relationship between insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia is cyclic - each increases the occurrence of the other," said Prosenjit Mondal, Associate Professor, School of Basic Sciences, IIT Mandi.</p>.<p>"While it is obvious how insulin resistance leads to hyperinsulinemia - when cells cannot use the insulin, it just remains in the blood - the converse of how hyperinsulinemia increases insulin resistance has hitherto remained unclear. We have known that one of the causes of insulin resistance is inflammation," he added.</p>.<p>The researchers identified a critical protein molecule - SIRT1 which is repressed in hyperinsulinemia. </p>.<p>"The team has found that low dose naltrexone (LDN), a drug commonly administered for opiate addiction, can activate SIRT1, thereby reducing inflammation and increasing insulin sensitivity of cells.The significance of this discovery is enormous," Mondal said.</p>.<p>Naltrexone is already an Food and Drug Administration-approved drug that is used for the treatment of opioid addiction and can easily be repurposed for inflammation reduction and diabetes control.</p>.<p>"The research team intends to study this thread further to understand the mechanistic aspects of LDN's effects on hyperinsulinemia-induced inflammation and resulting insulin resistance," he said.</p>
<p>Researchers from Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Mandi have found that the treatment drugs for opioid addiction can reverse some of the adverse effects of type 2 diabetes.</p>.<p>The team has unravelled the mechanism by which insulin overload in the body causes insulin resistance that is associated with diabetes.</p>.<p>The results of the research work that was funded by the Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB) grant have recently been published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry.</p>.<p>"Insulin, a hormone produced by the pancreas, is used by cells to absorb glucose from the blood. Type 2 diabetes results when cells lose their ability to use insulin due to a variety of reasons. Insulin resistance is intricately linked to a condition called hyperinsulinemia, in which there is excess insulin traversing the bloodstream. The relationship between insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia is cyclic - each increases the occurrence of the other," said Prosenjit Mondal, Associate Professor, School of Basic Sciences, IIT Mandi.</p>.<p>"While it is obvious how insulin resistance leads to hyperinsulinemia - when cells cannot use the insulin, it just remains in the blood - the converse of how hyperinsulinemia increases insulin resistance has hitherto remained unclear. We have known that one of the causes of insulin resistance is inflammation," he added.</p>.<p>The researchers identified a critical protein molecule - SIRT1 which is repressed in hyperinsulinemia. </p>.<p>"The team has found that low dose naltrexone (LDN), a drug commonly administered for opiate addiction, can activate SIRT1, thereby reducing inflammation and increasing insulin sensitivity of cells.The significance of this discovery is enormous," Mondal said.</p>.<p>Naltrexone is already an Food and Drug Administration-approved drug that is used for the treatment of opioid addiction and can easily be repurposed for inflammation reduction and diabetes control.</p>.<p>"The research team intends to study this thread further to understand the mechanistic aspects of LDN's effects on hyperinsulinemia-induced inflammation and resulting insulin resistance," he said.</p>