Frogs may have spawned type 2 diabetes breakthrough
It might sound unpleasant, but skin secretions from a large frog could offer an exciting new treatment for type 2 diabetes.
A molecule found on the slippery surface of East Asian bullfrogs has been shown to boost insulin production in mice, as well as improving glucose tolerance.
More than 5million people in the UK are living with diabetes. Around 90% have the type 2 variant, in which the pancreas either doesn’t produce enough insulin, or the insulin it produces doesn’t work properly. This means blood sugar levels can rise dangerously high.
The research, presented at this week’s Diabetes UK Professional Conference in Liverpool, combined the molecule in the skin secretions, tigerinin-1r, with a hormone called GIP used in existing diabetes medication. Together the new drug increased insulin production in mice by 50% compared to tigerinin-1r alone, and 30% compared to GIP alone.
The combination drug was also more effective at improving glucose tolerance – how well the body moves glucose out of the blood and into cells – than either of the components on their own. No safety concerns were found when combining the molecules.
‘This innovative research has identified the untapped potential of a molecule secreted by frogs, that could boost existing type 2 diabetes drugs, leading to new and improved type 2 diabetes treatment options,’ said Dr Elizabeth Robertson, director of research at Diabetes UK.
‘We look forward to further research to explore how this exciting new combination treatment could be used to help people living with type 2 diabetes manage their blood sugar levels and potentially reduce their risk of serious diabetes-related complications.’
Diabetes medication is far from the only amphibious skin secretion with medicinal properties.
‘There are lots of bio-active compounds that have been found on frogs’ skin, it’s an area of a lot of active research,’ said Dr Ben Tapley, a conservation biologist and herpetologist at the Zoological Society of London (ZSL).
‘Some skin secretions are anti-microbial, some work against fungus.
‘Others have been shown to inhibit the HIV virus, and some have potential to act as painkillers.’
However, frog numbers across the world are declining, and as they disappear, so too do potential breakthroughs.
‘Amphibians are a really diverse group, there are around 8,500 species, most of which are frogs,’ said Dr Tapley, who is conducting his own research into frog skin secretions at ZSL’s Institute of Zoology. ‘They’re also the most threatened group of animals on the planet, and about 40% are at risk of extinction.’
The consequences of falling frog numbers are already having an impact on humans.
‘Frogs can be important in pest control,’ said Dr Tapley. ‘In areas where frogs are overexploited there can be an increase in agricultural pests, as seen in rice fields in India.
‘They can also be linked to human health. In Central America, a reduction in the number of frogs due to a fungal disease – the frog’s own pandemic affecting hundreds of different species – has led to an increase in malaria, probably because that pest control element was lost.’
‘My take-home message as a conservation biologist is that we could be losing these real medically significant findings because frogs are disappearing at a really alarming rate.’
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