Can frogs spawn a new treatment for Type 2?
Novel amphibian skin peptide-analogues for the treatment of Type 2 diabetes.
- Dr Yasser Abdel-Wahab of the University of Ulster
- £175,999; Three-year project grant
- September 2012 – September 2015
Background to project
Recently the drug exenatide (a man-made version of a protein found in the saliva of Gila monster lizards) has been developed into a therapy for improving blood glucose control in Type 2 diabetes. This has spurred interest in the search for other novel proteins that might be useful in diabetes management. Accordingly, researchers at the University of Ulster have perfected techniques for testing whether short portions of skin proteins from amphibians (e.g. frogs, newts and salamanders) can help to control blood glucose.
Project aims
Building on their existing research with frog skin proteins, Dr Abdel-Wahab and his team will produce man-made copies of the four most promising examples, which are found naturally in the Chinese Edible Frog, the Volcano Clawed Frog and the Chiricahua Leopard Frog. They will study the effect that short portions of these proteins have on mice, to investigate their ability to increase the production of insulin and evaluate their potential for use as anti-diabetic drugs. The researchers will also attempt to determine the mechanisms by which these portions take effect.
Potential benefit to people with diabetes
The researchers hope that they will be able to identify short portions of proteins that could be developed into a new therapeutic agent to help improve the management of blood glucose in Type 2 diabetes, and thus reduce the burden of diabetes-related complications.