Diabetes - Type 2 Related News
Understanding why some obese people stay sensitive to insulin
MEDIA RELEASE:
01 Feb 2012
Obesity, especially central obesity, is associated with insulin resistance, which precedes diabetes, sometimes by more than a decade. However, it’s not only a question of body weight or fat distribution, because some obese people remain insulin-sensitive, with insulin working as well in their bodies as in someone lean.
Deconstructing diabetes – why one size does not fit all
MEDIA RELEASE:
30 Nov 2011
Professor David James, Head of the Diabetes and Obesity Program at Garvan, believes it’s time to draw attention to the many things we don’t yet know about the complex metabolic disease we call ‘Type 2 diabetes’, and to the oversimplifications that abound in discussion of future treatments.
Exploring the amazing little world of the fat cell
MEDIA RELEASE:
28 Sep 2011
For the first time, Australian scientists have detailed the proteins, or functional molecules, inside and around the ‘plasma membrane’ of a fat cell, the permeable barrier between the cell’s inner workings and the rest of the body. Understanding the way that proteins function at the surface of these cells will help us unravel some of the complexities underlying Type 2 diabetes.
Hope for people with Type 2 diabetes – insulin master switch uncovered
MEDIA RELEASE:
22 Sep 2011
Garvan scientists have discovered that a single gene controls a very complex process, apparently forming the crucial link between eating a high fat diet and developing diabetes. Compounds are already being developed for blocking the gene – known as Id1 – as it has known adverse effects in cancer. This drug development work would very much shorten the path from discovery to prospective treatment in the case of diabetes.
Test Vitamin D levels in pregnant women say researchers
MEDIA RELEASE:
03 Apr 2011
Garvan clinical researchers have identified widespread Vitamin D deficiency in pregnant women as well as a very strong association between low Vitamin D levels and gestational diabetes. In a retrospective study of 147 women from a gestational diabetes clinic at Westmead Hospital, 41% were shown to be Vitamin D deficient.
How fatness gets forecast in the womb
MEDIA RELEASE:
28 Jan 2011
Children born of mums with gestational diabetes will tend to become fat, say Garvan scientists, and the worse mum’s sugar levels during pregnancy, the fatter they will be.
Garvan Scientists acknowledged on World Diabetes Day
14 Nov 2010
Garvan diabetes research has been recognised by the Diabetes Australia Research Trust, which announced that several Garvan scientists would be receiving significant research support over the coming two years.
Sean Humphrey wins 2010 Castle Harlan Award
26 Oct 2010
Sean Humphrey has received the $10,000 USD Castle Harlan Award for being the most outstanding early career PhD student at the Garvan Institute in 2010. His research uses the latest mass spectrometry technologies to study Type 2 diabetes as a system.
James Cantley Awarded Don Chisholm Fellowship in Fundamental Diabetes Research
08 Oct 2010
Garvan researcher Dr James Cantley has been appointed the Don Chisholm Fellow in Fundamental Diabetes Research, an award enabling vital research into Type 2 diabetes.
Garvan Diabetes Researcher Receives Prestigious Fellowship
05 Oct 2010
Garvan researcher Dr Jerry Greenfield has received the prestigious Don Chisholm Senior Fellow in Clinical Diabetes.
David Pedersen wins Australian Diabetes Society award
07 Sep 2010
Garvan PhD student David Pedersen won the Pincus Taft Junior Investigator Award last week at the Australian Diabetes Society’s annual conference.
New drug a potential treatment for Type 2 diabetes
MEDIA RELEASE:
22 Jul 2010
Garvan scientists, in association with US pharmaceutical company DiaKine Therapeutics, have shown that a drug candidate, Lisofylline, could be useful in treating Type 2 diabetes. Lysofylline, an anti-inflammatory drug, is currently undergoing clinical trials for other diseases.
Simple diagnostic tool predicts Type 2 diabetes in South East Asians
MEDIA RELEASE:
07 Jul 2010
Researchers have estimated the prevalence of Type 2 diabetes in Vietnam, and have developed a simple tool for identifying individuals at high risk. In Ho Chi Minh City, a city of 6.4 million, the findings suggest that around 350,000 have diabetes, many of whom are unaware of the fact.
Weight gain when there’s a family history of Type 2 diabetes
MEDIA RELEASE:
11 May 2010
In the first study of its type, Garvan researchers have shown that healthy people with a genetic predisposition to Type 2 diabetes gain more weight overeating over the short term than their non-genetically-prone counterparts.
A potential new treatment for Type 2 diabetes
MEDIA RELEASE:
06 May 2010
Garvan scientists propose that a drug, already being used to treat rare inherited disorders, may also help people with Type 2 diabetes. The drug in question increases levels of a protein that may restore insulin production in pancreatic insulin-producing cells.
The remarkable effects of fat loss on the immune system
MEDIA RELEASE:
20 Apr 2010
Garvan scientists have shown for the first time that even modest weight loss reverses many of the damaging changes often seen in the immune cells of obese people, particularly those with Type 2 diabetes.
My Genes Made Me Eat That: Are Our Parents to Blame for Our Body Size?
MEDIA RELEASE:
15 Dec 2009
Genetic influences on appetite and weight are profound and may pave the way toward more targeted and effective therapies for weight management says Professor Stephen O’Rahilly from Cambridge University, giving a free public lecture on the genetics of obesity tonight at Garvan.
Research Fellowship announcement to support link between weight loss and the reversal of Type 2 diabetes
MEDIA RELEASE:
27 Oct 2009
Associate Professor Katherine Samaras is the new recipient of the GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) Don Chisholm Diabetes Research Fellowship. The Fellowship is dedicated to funding vital research into the causes, processes and treatments for Type 2 diabetes, one of Australia’s most common and serious diseases – and is named in honour of Professor Don Chisholm, who is recognised as a leader in clinical diabetes research.
The free radical that triggers insulin resistance and Type 2 diabetes
MEDIA RELEASE:
28 Sep 2009
Garvan scientists have found that overeating may stimulate the conversion of the oxygen in the air we breathe into toxic free radicals, leading to insulin resistance and Type 2 diabetes. Until now, no-one has identified the central mechanism, or cellular switch, that initiates insulin resistance.
How coconut oil could help reduce the symptoms of Type 2 diabetes
MEDIA RELEASE:
08 Sep 2009
A new study in animals demonstrates that a diet rich in coconut oil protects against ‘insulin resistance’ in muscle and fat. It also avoids the accumulation of body fat caused by other high fat diets of similar calorie content – although can cause fat build up in the liver. These findings are important because obesity and insulin resistance are major factors leading to the development of Type 2 diabetes.
Shedding light on life at the edge of our cells
MEDIA RELEASE:
27 Jul 2009
Sophisticated new microscopes and associated technologies are revolutionising medical research. A recent collaboration between Garvan and CSIRO scientists reveals important new insights into how substances move in and out of cells.
Regulating the sugar factory in diabetes
MEDIA RELEASE:
19 May 2009
Scientists at Garvan, Harvard Medical School and Joslin Diabetes Centre in Boston believe they may have identified a gene that controls abnormal production of sugar in the liver, a very troublesome problem for people with diabetes.
Diabetes treatment may lie in helping muscles to burn fat better
MEDIA RELEASE:
28 Jan 2009
Scientists from Garvan and Melbourne's Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute have made a finding that is likely to be an important milestone in understanding the mechanisms of obesity related insulin resistance, a precursor of Type 2 diabetes.
Will bitter melon in a bottle live up to its promise?
MEDIA RELEASE:
21 Jan 2009
Diabetes researchers at Garvan have received nearly $300,000 in Commonwealth funding to advance their research into the therapeutic properties of bitter melon, a vegetable and traditional Chinese medicine.
Why women should eat less, move more and consider wearing transdermal patches during menopause
MEDIA RELEASE:
24 Nov 2008
Weight and appetite experts from around the world met at a conference in Bangkok earlier this year to discuss sex differences in obesity. One line of discussion looked at factors leading to women’s weight gain during menopause, and how it might be avoided.
Completely novel action of insulin unveiled
MEDIA RELEASE:
05 Nov 2008
Freddy Yip, a Garvan PhD student, has found a significant missing link in our knowledge about insulin and how it helps cells absorb glucose. Freddy's finding reveals an important molecular mechanism activated by insulin.
Research fellowship announced to investigate the missing link for diabetes
MEDIA RELEASE:
15 Oct 2008
Garvan researcher Dr Alexander Viardot, a specialist in endocrinology and internal medicine, has been appointed to the GlaxoSmithKline Don Chisholm Diabetes Research Fellowship following a global search. The position is dedicated to vital research into the causes of Type 2 diabetes.
Research agreement to reveal secret lives of cells
MEDIA RELEASE:
06 Aug 2008
Garvan and CSIRO have signed a three-year collaboration agreement to investigate important cellular processes, including those impaired by diseases such as diabetes. They will be using a new computer vision system they developed jointly to watch intricate cellular processes in real time.
Potential to prevent loss of insulin in Type 2 diabetes
MEDIA RELEASE:
14 Jul 2008
Until now, it was thought that the processes leading to the death of insulin-secreting pancreatic cells were similar in both types of diabetes. Scientists at Garvan have now shown that the process is quite different in the two diseases. They have also identified a promising therapeutic target for people with Type 2 diabetes
A tonne of bitter melon produces sweet results for diabetes
MEDIA RELEASE:
22 Mar 2008
Teams from the Garvan Institute of Medical Research and the Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica pulped roughly a tonne of fresh bitter melon and extracted four very promising bioactive components that explain why it is has been used in Chinese medicine for hundreds of years. It now promises to be an effective treatment for Type 2 diabetes.
Low levels of PYY hormone a very early indicator of Type 2 diabetes
MEDIA RELEASE:
10 Mar 2008
Garvan scientists have published findings showing that low levels of the hormone PYY could be used as a predictor for the development of Type 2 diabetes. Clinical studies have shown that people with a family history of Type 2 diabetes, but not yet showing signs of insulin resistance themselves, produce lower levels of PYY after eating, a very early sign of pre-diabetes.
Natural gut hormones may provide a treatment for obesity
MEDIA RELEASE:
08 Jan 2008
Garvan researchers have shown that a hormone released naturally from the gut could be used to treat obesity and Type 2 diabetes. After a meal, the hormone peptide YY (PYY) is released from the gut and acts on the brain, contributing to a feeling of satiety. Researchers foresee the use of this hormone as a weight loss medication.
New Fellowship Strengthens Garvan Potential to find a cure for Type 2 diabetes
MEDIA RELEASE:
06 Dec 2007
We are very pleased to announce the establishment of the GlaxoSmithKline Don Chisholm Fellowship for Diabetes Research – a position dedicated to vital research into the causes, processes and treatments for Type 2 diabetes, one of Australia’s most common and serious diseases.
Solving a critical part of the insulin puzzle
MEDIA RELEASE:
04 Oct 2007
We are now one step closer to improved treatment of Type 2 diabetes following significant findings made by scientists at the Garvan Institute of Medical Research. The team from Garvan's Diabetes Signalling Unit, led by Associate Professor Trevor Biden and Dr Carsten Schmitz-Peiffer, has identified a very important biological target that will enable them to address one of the major underlying causes of diabetes.
Garvan scientist wins L’Oréal For Women In Science Fellowship
26 Sep 2007
Senior Garvan scientist, Dr Jenny Gunton, was one of four inspirational early career scientists to be awarded an inaugural L’Oréal For Women In Science Fellowship in late August. The award will help Gunton pursue her interest in the link between Type 2 (adult onset) diabetes and Vitamin D.
Marcia Shines For Garvan
21 Sep 2007
At the 2007 Garvan Chairman’s Dinner held on 18 September, Marcia Hines thrilled our guests with exquisite renditions of some of her greatest hits in honour of Professor Don Chisholm – a leader in diabetes research and care for over 40 years….
First Leslie Lazarus Oration delivered by world-renowned diabetes expert
12 Sep 2007
Garvan held its annual International Fellow Symposium on 12 September, an event held each year to honour our major International Visiting Fellow. This year, diabetes expert Professor Ron Kahn, delivered the first "Leslie Lazarus Oration", in honour of Professor Leslie Lazarus AO, Garvan's first full time Director.
Genes and disease
08 Jun 2007
News reports today detail the discovery of genetic regions that contribute to the risk of developing seven of the Western World's common diseases.
Professor David James elected Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science
15 Mar 2007
The Director of Garvan’s Diabetes and Obesity Research Program, Professor David James, has been elected Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science in recognition of his outstanding contributions to science.
Traditional Chinese Medicine for diabetes has scientific backing
01 Aug 2006
Reports of a traditional Chinese medicine having beneficial effects for people suffering from type 2 diabetes now has some scientific evidence to back up the claims.
Garvan student wins prestigious University Medal
01 Feb 2006
Yvonne Ng, a 2005 Honours student in the Diabetes and Obesity Research Program, has won the UNSW University Medal for Molecular Biology
