Progress in diabetes research: A large-scale international study with the participation of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev found clear links between gut bacteria and type 2 diabetes. The link may lead to new ways of early diagnosis, treatment and perhaps even prevention of the common disease. The research findings were published in the prestigious journal Nature Medicine.
In the last twenty years, the gut microbiome has been identified as an active metabolic organ that mediates between the host’s genetics and environmental factors. The microbiome refers to the set of microorganisms and their genetic material, including bacteria living in the intestines of the human body. The microbiome affects digestion, the immune system and the overall health of the body. Previous studies have identified various relationships between the composition of the microbiome and type 2 diabetes, but the findings were often inconsistent due to a small study population and varying quality of studies.
The new study included 8,117 participants and points to species, strains and specific functions of bacteria in the gut associated with type 2 diabetes. Important findings from the study include a “bacterial signature”, that is, identifications of 19 bacterial species found to be associated with this type of diabetes. For example, five of the species were found to be associated with diabetes only, 14 were found to be associated with both diabetes and pre-diabetes.
Many of these species were identified for the first time in a study at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and are associated with type 2 diabetes only, including “Clostridium”, “Rominococcus” and “Treprococcus mutans”. The researchers also found that some of the bacteria carried more virulent genes with antibiotic resistance.
The researchers believe that the research findings may in the future lead to the development of a new generation of drugs and diagnostics that will help treat and possibly even prevent or cure the disease: “The innovative research provides a clear picture of the role of the bacterial populations in the intestines in the development of type 2 diabetes and offers new goals for the development of mechanisms that may prevent and treat the disease,” she explained The head of the team of researchers, Prof. Iris Shay.
About 537 million people worldwide face type 2 diabetes, characterized by a gradual decrease in the function of “beta” cells in the pancreas, accompanied by systemic inflammation and insulin resistance. According to estimates, about half a million Israelis in Israel have type 2 diabetes, and another similar number are in a pre-diabetic state and will be afflicted with the disease without knowing it.
Treatment usually includes appropriate nutrition, oral medication, and in advanced cases, daily insulin injection using a syringe or automatic pump. Diabetes is known as one of the most common diseases in the world that leads to an increased risk of limb amputations, cognitive impairment, nerve damage in the feet, heart attack and stroke.