Diabetes Could Be in The Bones
The bones appear to have a role in regulating blood sugar and could be the underlying cause of diabetes.
“Skeleton”
The skeleton has a role in regulating blood glucose and may be the underlying cause of diabetes, show two studies conducted in the United States.
Both studies discovered the role of a hormone derived from the bones called osteocalcin, and its link with insulin.
One study, conducted in mice, found that the breakdown of old bone, which occurs to allow new bone growth also helps maintain a healthy level of blood glucose.
And the link, say scientists at the Medical Center of Columbia University, is osteocalcin.
The researchers, who published the study in the journal Cell, believe the finding could lead to better treatments to control the global epidemic of type 2 diabetes.
Dr. Gerard Karsenty and his team had already shown in previous studies that osteocalcin may regulate glucose levels.
This hormone can “turn” the production of insulin in the pancreas, which in turn improves the ability of other cells to absorb glucose from the blood.
But the new research, we found that the osteocalcin only works when the bone is decomposed during the process of natural formation.
In tests conducted to measure levels of osteocalcin and glucose in a small group of patients who had a genetic bone defect, confirmed the results found in mice.
Important implications
Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of the disease and is caused when the body can not produce insulin or respond appropriately and can not regulate the levels of glucose in the blood.
“Injection of Insulin”
The study suggests that in some patients diabetes may be caused by changes in the skeleton.
And this information could lead to development of drugs that stimulate the link between osteocalcin and insulin.
Also, the researchers say the finding could also mean that the drugs used to strengthen bone in the treatment of disorders such as osteoporosis may interfere with this process and cause problems with blood sugar.
“This research has important implications for patients with osteoporosis and diabetes,” said Dr. Karsenty.
“First, this study shows that osteocalcin is involved in the onset of diabetes. And second, the bone could be a new target in the treatment of type 2 diabetes, since it seems to contribute to glucose intolerance.”
“And finally, osteocalcin could become a treatment for type 2 diabetes,” says the scientist.
In the second study, also published in Cell, researchers from Johns Hopkins Medical Institute discovered that insulin is necessary for normal bone development and this hormone, they say, may be the link between bone health and metabolic diseases and the diabetes.
In the mouse study, the animals whose bones could not respond to insulin resistance developed hormone and high levels of sugar, both symptoms of diabetes.
Scientists now hope to confirm these findings in larger studies with humans.