Indians claim cure for type 2 diabetes



H

Habshi

Guest
Indian scientists claimed to have developed a "cure" to diabetes from a plant found in West Bengal's
Purulia hills.

"The drug - 'ICB201' - has been derived from a plant after it was noticed that people in Purulia
hills used it in case of diabetic problems," Dr S Bhattacharya of Indian Institute of Chemical
Biology, Kolkata, whose team developed the drug, said at the Science Congress on Tuesday evening.

Bhattacharya, while delivering the BC Guha Memorial Award Lecture on "Confronting Diabetic Type II:
A global Epidemic", claimed — "probably the answer to 'Type-II' diabetes has been found".

Asserting that earlier there was "practically no drug to treat the Type II diabetes", he said
'ICB201' acts by lowering the fatty acid levels in blood. Higher levels of fatty acids in blood
diminish activity of insulin which causes diabetes".

The Phase I toxicity studies on mice have been carried out and the data would be submitted to
concerned authorities. Phase II studies would start in about two-three months and the drug is likely
to hit the market in next two to three years, Bhattacharya said.

Pointing out that patents were being filed for the "invention", he said work on the medicine started
four years back. However, he refused to reveal the name of the plant.

Bhattacharya said "it is now being realised that more than glucose, it is the levels of fatty acids
which play more important role in diabetes. The disease was being found even in thin people. In fact
it was shown in animals that if fat is removed, diabetes manifests and if fat is replaced, diabetes
disappears."

It happens because fat cells take fatty acids from circulation thus lowering their levels, he said.

"Over 95 per cent of all diabetic patients suffer from type II diabetes. Both Type I and Type II
diabetes are characterised by an increase in blood sugar.

"While in Type I, there is deficiency of insulin, Type II is independent of insulin. However, in
both the types, levels of glucose rise in the blood," he said.

In Type II diabetes, the insulin, though present, is unable to act, thereby leading to enhanced
glucose levels, he said, adding "currently both the disease types are treated by giving insulin to
the patients which actually can do harm."
 
Is this a joke?

Habshi wrote:
>
> Indian scientists claimed to have developed a "cure" to diabetes from a plant found in West
> Bengal's Purulia hills.
>
> "The drug - 'ICB201' - has been derived from a plant after it was noticed that people in Purulia
> hills used it in case of diabetic problems," Dr S Bhattacharya of Indian Institute of Chemical
> Biology, Kolkata, whose team developed the drug, said at the Science Congress on Tuesday evening.
>
> Bhattacharya, while delivering the BC Guha Memorial Award Lecture on "Confronting Diabetic Type
> II: A global Epidemic", claimed — "probably the answer to 'Type-II' diabetes has been found".
>
> Asserting that earlier there was "practically no drug to treat the Type II diabetes", he said
> 'ICB201' acts by lowering the fatty acid levels in blood. Higher levels of fatty acids in blood
> diminish activity of insulin which causes diabetes".
>
> The Phase I toxicity studies on mice have been carried out and the data would be submitted to
> concerned authorities. Phase II studies would start in about two-three months and the drug is
> likely to hit the market in next two to three years, Bhattacharya said.
>
> Pointing out that patents were being filed for the "invention", he said work on the medicine
> started four years back. However, he refused to reveal the name of the plant.
>
> Bhattacharya said "it is now being realised that more than glucose, it is the levels of fatty
> acids which play more important role in diabetes. The disease was being found even in thin people.
> In fact it was shown in animals that if fat is removed, diabetes manifests and if fat is replaced,
> diabetes disappears."
>
> It happens because fat cells take fatty acids from circulation thus lowering their levels,
> he said.
>
> "Over 95 per cent of all diabetic patients suffer from type II diabetes. Both Type I and Type II
> diabetes are characterised by an increase in blood sugar.
>
> "While in Type I, there is deficiency of insulin, Type II is independent of insulin. However, in
> both the types, levels of glucose rise in the blood," he said.
>
> In Type II diabetes, the insulin, though present, is unable to act, thereby leading to enhanced
> glucose levels, he said, adding "currently both the disease types are treated by giving insulin to
> the patients which actually can do harm."
>
>
 
I read this announcement when I was in India in January. At least my first impression is that Dr.
Bhattacharya's invention has not been thoroughly tested. Which is OK. But his claim of "cure" for
diabetes type II is very difficult to accept. Many investigators who work in the area of
Phytopharmacology make such tall claims. It is just the way the things are done all over the world.
But if it turns out to be true it will be a boon for the humanity since the number of people
suffering from Type II diabetes are expected to double in USA during the next 10 yr. and may be
quadruple in India.....Balwant Dixit
 
bdixit wrote:

> I read this announcement when I was in India in January. At least my first impression is that
> Dr. Bhattacharya's invention has not been thoroughly tested. Which is OK. But his claim of
> "cure" for diabetes type II is very difficult to accept. Many investigators who work in the
> area of Phytopharmacology make such tall claims. It is just the way the things are done all
> over the world. But if it turns out to be true it will be a boon for the humanity since the
> number of people suffering from Type II diabetes are expected to double in USA during the next
> 10 yr. and may be quadruple in India.....Balwant Dixit
>

Yes, it would be great, but reading the post it almost seemed like he didn't have a handle or much
medical experience. I think the real "cure" will come from the encapsulation and transplantaion of
islet cells (at least for insulin dependant diabetics). Also or in conjunction with regeneration of
pacreatic tissues using stem cell technology. But that's just me postulating.
 
Habshi wrote in message <[email protected]>...
>
>Indian scientists claimed to have developed a "cure" to diabetes from a plant found in West
>Bengal's Purulia hills.
. . . .(snip).. . .
>
>"While in Type I, there is deficiency of insulin, Type II is independent of insulin. However, in
>both the types, levels of glucose rise in the blood," he said.
>
>In Type II diabetes, the insulin, though present, is unable to act, thereby leading to enhanced
>glucose levels, he said, adding "currently both the disease types are treated by giving insulin to
>the patients which actually can do harm."

An odd set of statements

Type 2 diabetes is characterized by a slow loss of beta cell activity. The UKPDS data suggest that
the average T2 has lost 50% of their beta cells at the time of diagnosis.

See Slide 10 at The Progression and Natural History of Type 2 Diabetes

http://www.medscape.com/viewprogram/145

The slow loss of beta cells is considered to be caused by Apoptosis due to precipitation of Islet
Amyloid Polypeptides (IAPP).

http://www.usc.edu/hsc/info/pr/1vol7/722/diabetes.html

http://www.amyloiddiabetes.com/

http://www.joplink.net/prev/200107/200107_02.pdf

Note that Dr. Hayden gives an implied recommendation for the use of injected insulin for Type 2
diabetics, even at the IGT stage i.e.

". . . .Figure 3. At the time of diagnosis of T2DM patients already have a 50% reduction in beta
cell function. As one moves through the various stages-phases there is a progressive loss of beta
cell function while concurrently there is increased deposition of amylin derived islet amyloid. If
treatment were started at an earlier stage in the natural history of T2DM (Stage III: impaired
glucose tolerance or "prediabetes") in a manner to control elevated glucose levels without elevating
endogenous insulin or the monomeric substrate amylin then it may be possible to halt the progressive
nature of T2DM. . ."

(An easy and very powerful method of controling elevated glucose levels without elevating endogenous
insulin is to inject exogenous insulin.)

BTW: That term: "halt the progressive nature of T2DM" really gets one's attention. Metformin and
lifestyle changes slow the progression presumeably by reducing Insulin Resistance and thus the rate
of damage due to IAPP, but exogenous insulin therapy could have even more dramatic results

If one wishes to define a cure for Type 2 diabetes as anything which allows control of elevated
blood glucose, then there are an awful lot of plant substances which will work. . .for a while.

Regards
Old Al