Rice could spare the needle
SAPA/AFP via Health 24
via checkbiotech.org
Japanese laboratories have developed rice plants that could
free serious diabetes patients from regular insulin injections
by promoting their own bodies' production of the key hormone,
researchers said Wednesday.
The genetically modified rice was developed jointly by the
Japanese
National Institute of Agrobiological Sciences (NIAS),
private sector Japan Paper Industries and Sanwa Kagaku Research
Institute.
Fumio Takaiwa, head of the NIAS research team said it was the
first time that a foodstuff had been developed as an effective
treatment for diabetes.
More about diabetes
Diabetes is a disorder characterised by a chronic, toxic
excess of sugar in the blood caused by a lack of insulin, a
hormone secreted by the pancreas.
It afflicts more than 150 million people worldwide and can
cause blindness, kidney failure and even death. There are two
distinct types.
Type 1 diabetes develops most often in children and young
adults, but the disorder can appear at any age.
Type 2, or "adult" diabetes, traditionally affects people
over 55 and apparently develops as a consequence of obesity or
weight gain, and is now being detected among children. It
accounts for 90 percent of US diabetes cases.
How the new rice strain works
The newly developed rice strain contains a high level of
another hormone, the GLP-1, which promotes the pancreas' release
of insulin.
The development is "epoch-making ... as it enables us to eat
the staple food of Japanese, increase insulin secretion, and
lower glucose levels in blood," in Type 2 diabetics, the three
research partners said in a statement.
A standard Japanese helping of rice at every meal is believed
to be enough to control diabetics' glucose levels.
There are 6,9 million diabetics in Japan.
On the market within the next few years
The project aims at commercialising the rice in
two-to-three years but research director Takahito Jomori at
Sanwa Kagaku admitted it could take some more time for it to be
available to consumers.
Since there are restrictions on where genetically modified
plants may be grown in Japan, the rice may have to be grown
overseas such as in the United States, he said. – (Sapa-AFP)
