Froggy hope for diabetics

Slime from the skin of a South American frog could provide a new treatment for diabetes Slime from the skin of a South American frog could provide a new treatment for diabetes, Northern Ireland scientists have claimed.

The frog, Pseudis paradoxa, secretes a substance in its skin which protects it from infection. But the molecule, pseudin-2, may have another use for humans. Researchers found it stimulates the release of insulin, the vital hormone which is deficient in diabetes sufferers.

Scientists at the University of Ulster and United Arab Emirates University have made an artificial copy and showed it could boost insulin production in people with Type 2 diabetes. Dr Yasser Abdel-Wahab, at the University of Ulster, said, 'We are at an exciting stage. Now we need to put our work into practice to help people with diabetes.'

This article was published on Wed 5 March 2008

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