The brain may become a key target for the treatment of type 1 diabetes, researchers from the University of Washington have concluded. In a review published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, they explain how the hormone leptin, which regulates appetite and energy metabolism, is able to normalize blood sugar levels even with acute insulin deficiency. This opens up the prospect of creating new drugs that affect the brain rather than the pancreas.

Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is a dangerous condition in which, due to a lack of insulin, the body begins to break down fats, leading to the accumulation of ketone bodies and sugar in the blood. Until now, it was believed that DKA could only be stopped with insulin. However, experiments on mice showed that when leptin was injected into the brain, glucose and ketone levels stabilized and remained normal even without insulin.

The authors believe that when there is an insulin deficiency, the brain mistakenly perceives the situation as energy depletion, including an emergency mode of glucose mobilization. A low level of leptin— a signal from adipose tissue, enhances this effect. But if you "trick" the brain with leptin, this cycle can be broken.

A team of scientists is already preparing to apply to the FDA for human trials. If the treatment works, it can become an alternative to insulin, saving patients from daily injections and constant monitoring of sugar levels. lenta.ru.