In a recently published study by a research team from MedImmune led by Dr. Arun Sharma, novel data was presented which shows that in vivo treatment with a combination of the neurotrophic factor neuturin (NRTN) and liraglutide in hyperglycemic ZDF rats synergistically improved glycemic control and enhanced metabolic parameters as compared to liraglutide alone, highlighting the potential of novel combinatorial approaches to prevent or reverse diabetes progression
Offspring are happy to have assisted in the completion of this study by performing dual IHC labelling of pancreas tissue sections for receptor components to the neuturin receptor as means to characterize the mechanistic basis for this effect
Identification of novel therapeutic mechanisms that can prevent or reverse the progression of diabetes are much needed to successfully stem the tide of the ongoing diabetes epidemic and its associated complications. In this study, a new function for NRTN is described, inhibiting the development of diabetes by a mechanism not yet fully defined, but distinct from GLP-1RAs. It is demonstrated that NRTN can prevent the development of hyperglycemia, reduce fasting glucose, and improve metabolic parameters independent of weight loss and reduced food intake
