2008 Woodie Awards
Professor conducts diabetes research
Andrew Bowles
Issue date: 10/12/07 Section: News
- Page 1 of 1
A Marshall University professor is studying diabetes and its effect on the cells of the body.
Leslie Frost, associate professor of chemistry, is using mass spectrometry to understand the function of a once thought inactive peptide attached to insulin molecules.
Mass spectrometry separates gas phase ions by their mass to charge ratio and is commonly used to analyze and identify proteins.
A peptide is a chemical compound that is composed of a chain of two or more amino acids and is usually smaller than a protein. The amino acids can be alike or different and many hormones, such as antibiotics, are considered peptides.
The C-peptide is created in the pancreas and starts as a single protein. It is then modified and clipped out and then "tags" along with the insulin molecule as it leaves.
Frost and her group of researchers have been working diligently to understand the function of this mystery peptide.
"We've taken the C-peptide and put it into a liver cell solution to see if it combines with any of the proteins." Frost said. "This helps us figure out what the protein is and how C-peptide functions and benefits the body. So far we have found that the modification of the intracellular portion of the receptor causes differences in the patients response to insulin."
One clinical trial has shown that a high concentration of C-peptide combined with insulin may help some with severe diabetes.
People who have type 1 diabetes, usually children and young adults, have pancreatic cells that don't produce insulin or C-peptides. While people with type 2 diabetes, who are more likely to benefit from C-peptide research, either do not create enough insulin or the insulin receptor is not as responsive, the American Diabetes Association Web site said.
To treat type 2 diabetes doctors must overload the receptors with a huge level of insulin, sometimes triple the dosage, so that if the receptors only work at 30 percent, hopefully, the patient will get enough insulin, Frost said.
Michael Yankavitch, a senior history major from New Martinsville, W.Va. and type 2 diabetes sufferer, said that any kind of research is beneficial for diabetes patients.
"We need more research devoted to diabetes because it is an incredibly painful disease." Yankavitch said. "People who have diabetes need to have more treatment options and programs-like those who have cancer-so it is encouraging to hear that scientist on this campus are working toward that goal."
Leslie Frost, associate professor of chemistry, is using mass spectrometry to understand the function of a once thought inactive peptide attached to insulin molecules.
Mass spectrometry separates gas phase ions by their mass to charge ratio and is commonly used to analyze and identify proteins.
A peptide is a chemical compound that is composed of a chain of two or more amino acids and is usually smaller than a protein. The amino acids can be alike or different and many hormones, such as antibiotics, are considered peptides.
The C-peptide is created in the pancreas and starts as a single protein. It is then modified and clipped out and then "tags" along with the insulin molecule as it leaves.
Frost and her group of researchers have been working diligently to understand the function of this mystery peptide.
"We've taken the C-peptide and put it into a liver cell solution to see if it combines with any of the proteins." Frost said. "This helps us figure out what the protein is and how C-peptide functions and benefits the body. So far we have found that the modification of the intracellular portion of the receptor causes differences in the patients response to insulin."
One clinical trial has shown that a high concentration of C-peptide combined with insulin may help some with severe diabetes.
People who have type 1 diabetes, usually children and young adults, have pancreatic cells that don't produce insulin or C-peptides. While people with type 2 diabetes, who are more likely to benefit from C-peptide research, either do not create enough insulin or the insulin receptor is not as responsive, the American Diabetes Association Web site said.
To treat type 2 diabetes doctors must overload the receptors with a huge level of insulin, sometimes triple the dosage, so that if the receptors only work at 30 percent, hopefully, the patient will get enough insulin, Frost said.
Michael Yankavitch, a senior history major from New Martinsville, W.Va. and type 2 diabetes sufferer, said that any kind of research is beneficial for diabetes patients.
"We need more research devoted to diabetes because it is an incredibly painful disease." Yankavitch said. "People who have diabetes need to have more treatment options and programs-like those who have cancer-so it is encouraging to hear that scientist on this campus are working toward that goal."
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
Susan Johnson
posted 11/17/07 @ 2:39 PM EST
I've been following c-peptide research for several years. The research has looked very promising but the medical establishment has been largely ignoring it. (Continued…)
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