Oral Treatment for Diabetes May be Possible, Japan Study Shows

Japanese researchers said Thursday that they have developed a drug compound, which can help control glucose in the body. The latest research is a step towards oral treatment for diabetes.

In the U.S., the number of people diagnosed with diabetes has tripled from 5.6 million in 1980 to 26.9 million in 2010. According to the CDC by 2050, 1 in 3 US adults will have diabetes. The condition leads to many health problems including heart and blood vessel diseases, nerve damage and also harms the eyes and kidneys. Diabetes type-2 has even been linked with vascular dementia and Alzheimer's disease.  

Type-2 diabetes is the most common type of diabetes, accounting for 90 to 95 percent of the cases. In this type, the body responds poorly to the hormone insulin leading to a condition called insulin-resistance.

The research team from University of Tokyo developed a compound that mimics the activity adiponectin- a hormone that increases activity of insulin, AFP reported.

They've named the compound AdipoRon. Studies conducted on animal models showed that the compound increased survival rates of obese, diabetic mice.

Doctors often advise dietary restrictions and exercise for people suffering from diabetes. However, not all people follow these recommendations either due to busy lifestyles or some other health problems such as heart diseases. The new treatment could help millions of people across the world manage diabetes without making any significant changes to their diets.

Toshimasa Yamauchi, one of the study authors and lecturer at the Graduate School of Medicine at the University of Tokyo said that the compound could also be used to control weight.

"We aim to launch clinical tests in a few years," he told AFP. Their research is published in the journal Nature.