Insulin-producing beta cells must be “rebooted” if people with type 2 diabetes are to go into remission following weight loss, according to a new study out yesterday.
A landmark trial funded by Diabetes UK adds evidence to the theory that shedding liver and pancreas fat is a vital component of putting Type 2 diabetes into remission.
The research, part of the Diabetes Remission Clinical Trial (DiRECT), was led by Professor Roy Taylor of the University of Newcastle, UK, and published in Cell Metabolism.
It examined how weight loss can put Type 2 diabetes into remission, and why it might work for some people and not others.
The research team measured fat levels in the liver and pancreas, alongside other metabolic tests, in a subset of people taking part in DiRECT, and looked for differences between 29 “responders” – those in remission – and 16 “non-responders”, people who were not in remission, over 12 months.
Both groups lost a similar amount of weight – 16.2 kg for responders compared with 13.4 kg for non-responders – but researchers found that the most significant difference between two groups was within their insulin-producing beta cells.
Once people lost weight, the beta cells of those in remission began to work properly again and their insulin production improved over the study period. However, there was no change in the amount of insulin being made by non-responders.
Prof Taylor said: “These results provide a dramatic window into the body, allowing us to see exactly what is happening as people change from having Type 2 diabetes to being healthy.”
Dr Elizabeth Robertson, director of research at Diabetes UK, added: “DiRECT has already provided evidence to suggest that some people can put their Type 2 diabetes into remission, but we didn’t yet know why. This latest study builds on these promising findings and helps us understand how weight loss can help some people to kick-start their insulin production again.”
Cell Metabolism 2 August 2018
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