MONDAY, Aug. 2, 2004 (HealthDayNews) -- A potential new way to treat type 2 diabetes has been developed by Israeli scientists.
They created "beta-breakers," which break up incorrectly folded, destructive protein structures that cause type 2 diabetes. These misfolded proteins clump together and form amyloid fibers. The fibers form deposits that destroy surrounding tissue in the pancreas.
The study appears in the current issue of the chemistry journal Angewandte Chemie.
The researchers say beta-breakers may prove useful against other amyloid diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, along with mad cow disease.
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The National Diabetes Education Program offers advice on how to control diabetes.
