Pigs were forced to suffer from diabetes

Scientists from the Ludwig Maximilians University of Munich, led by Professor Ehard Wolf and Professor Rudiger Vanke, have developed a new system for diabetes research. They have created a genetically modified breed of pigs that consistently develop symptoms of type 2 diabetes, writes Innovanews.

"It is known that the physiology of pigs is very close to human," Wolf said, "that is why our model provides a unique tool for developing and testing new methods for the diagnosis and treatment of diabetes."

Transgenic pigs not only show a weak response to a defective receptor of incretin hormones (hormones that stimulate the synthesis and secretion of insulin in the pancreas), they also show other signs characteristic of people with diabetes.

Thus, with age, the efficiency of glucose uptake and insulin secretion decreases in pigs. The number of insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas also becomes lower than normal due to less frequent division of these cells.

The new model provides many opportunities for innovative research without human involvement.

Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru04.03.2010