Diabetes: Why a gut bacteria protein may provide a new pathway for treatments

Diabetes: Why a gut bacteria protein may provide a new pathway for treatments

Source: MedicalNewsToday

• Evidence suggests that gut microbiome composition may be linked to the development of diabetes, which is characterized by the loss or dysfunction of pancreatic beta cells.

• A new study reports that a protein called beta cell expansion factor A (BefA) secreted by certain gut bacterial species could induce the proliferation of beta cells in young mice and zebrafish.

• The ability of the BefA protein to stimulate beta cell proliferation was mediated by increasing cell membrane permeability.

• This study provides a mechanism through which gut microbes could influence the development of pancreatic beta cells and how gut microbiome composition could influence the risk of diabetes.

Diabetes is characterized by insufficient production of insulin due to the loss or dysfunction of pancreatic beta cellsTrusted Source.A new study published in Cell Metabolism shows that a protein called beta cell expansion factor A (BefA) secreted by gut bacteria could induce the replication of insulin-producing beta cells in neonatal mice.

Understanding the mechanisms underlying the actions of BefA protein could help develop therapies to stimulate beta cell proliferation in individuals with diabetes.

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