Study: Probiotic Pill Could Help Cure Diabetes

A probiotic pill could effectively regulate blood glucose levels and help cure diabetes, according to a recent proof-of-principle study.

In order to test the effects of specially-engineered probiotics on blood glucose levels in patients with diabetes, researchers crafted a strain of lactobacillus—a common probiotic used to treat diarrhea and irritable bowel syndrome—to secrete Glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1), a hormone that releases insulin. The probiotic was distributed orally to rats with diabetes over a 90-day period.
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After 90 days, the rats taking the probiotic had a 25%-33% decrease in blood glucose levels compared to those not taking the probiotics.

According to researchers, future studies need to be conducted to determine if complete treatment through a probiotic can achieve balance for blood glucose levels.

“These results provide evidence of the potential for a safe and effective nonabsorbed oral treatment for diabetes and support the concept of engineered commensal bacterial signaling to mediate enteric cell function in vivo,” the researchers concluded.

The complete study is published in the January issue of Diabetes.

-Michelle Canales

Reference:

Duan FF, Liu JH, March JC, et al. Engineered Commensal Bacteria Reprogram Intestinal Cells Into Glucose-Responsive Insulin-Secreting Cells for the Treatment of Diabetes. Diabetes. 2015 January [epub ahead of print] doi: 10.2337/db14-0635.