Mechanism of diabetes drug solved
AB SCIEX technology used by Australian and Canadian scientists to unlock the mechanism of metformin.
Researchers from St Vincent’s Institute of Medical Research (Melbourne, Australia) and McMaster University (Ontario, Canada) have teamed up to discover how the Type 2 diabetes drug metformin works, using AB SCIEX MS technology. It is hoped that this could lead to the development of more effective therapies.
For over 50 years, it has not been clear whether metformin lowers blood glucose by working directly on glucose or via another mechanism. According to this research, the drug works by reducing harmful fat in the liver. Bruce Kemp, Head of Protein Chemistry and Metabolism at St. Vincent’s Institute of Medical Research, explained, “Our study indicates that metformin doesn’t directly reduce sugar metabolism, as previously suspected, but instead reduces fat in the liver, which in turn allows insulin to work effectively.”
The scientists introduced genetic mutations to the genes of two enzymes that regulate fat production, as well as the ability to burn fat, ACC1 and ACC2, in mice. Mice with the mutated proteins developed signs of fatty liver and pre-diabetes. When the obese mutant mice were given metformin, the drug failed to lower their blood sugar levels, indicating that the drug works by reducing fat in the liver rather than directly reducing sugar metabolism. Now that the mechanism of the drug is understood, further applications of metformin, beyond diabetes, could be discovered and could help to better target Type 2 diabetes.
Rainer Blair, President of AB SCIEX commented on the research, “AB SCIEX MS solutions help researchers explore big questions and conduct breakthrough studies, such as this remarkable Type 2 diabetes study. In order to understand disease at the molecular level, researchers need the sensitive detection and reproducible quantitation provided by AB SCIEX tools. We enable the research community to solve biological mysteries and rethink the possibilities to transform health.”
