Thanks to ongoing research at the University of Haifa, it may soon be possible to treat diabetes by popping a pill instead of an injection. A team of scientists, headed by Dr Nitsa Mirsky in the Department of Biology, discovered that a yeast-derived substance known as Glucose Tolerance Factor can mimic the function of insulin when taken orally.
In a series of animal trials and molecular analyses, the substance was shown to lower high levels of blood glucose and LDL ("bad" cholesterol), as well as preventing oxidation processes associated with the heart disease symptoms which often accompany diabetes.
The research bodes well for the development of alternative oral treatment options for diabetics, who number an estimated 200 million individuals worldwide.
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