“The CDP is a global network of scientists, physicians, engineers, physicists, chemists, biologists, molecular biologists and researchers who have come together with one common goal – see what putting our heads together can accomplish toward the elusive goal of curing diabetes. ”
Merigeng Qi, M.D., PhD., Lead Scientist, University of Illinois at Chicago
Insulin is a hormone secreted by the islet cells of the pancreas to maintain normal blood sugar.
Complications of diabetes are blindness, kidney failure, nerve damage, amputation of limbs, heart attack and stroke.
For more information, visit the American Diabetes Association.
To understand a functional cure for diabetes, it is important to understand what it does.
Diabetes is a disease of the metabolism. It affects the way our body processes food necessary for growth and energy.
Most foods break down into glucose, a form of sugar in the blood that fuels the cells of the body. In order for glucose to get into the cells, the hormone insulin must be present.
Islet cells in the pancreas produce insulin. These cells are tiny insulin factories that precisely respond to glucose levels in the blood stream. When food enters the stomach, blood glucose levels rise, and islet cells release a large amount of insulin. Insulin’s job is to move glucose from the blood stream into the cells of the body. Once the level of glucose in the blood returns to normal, islet cells slow insulin production, and wait to respond to the next change in blood glucose levels.
But for people with diabetes, the body is unable to produce or properly use insulin. Glucose levels in the blood stream rise to dangerous levels, and excess glucose is excreted in the urine. When this happens, the body’s main fuel source—glucose—is lost.
Without insulin injections, many diabetics would not survive. Blood glucose monitoring and insulin injections have allowed many people with this condition to live full, productive lives.
But unfortunately, precisely controlling glucose levels with injected insulin is difficult.
If insulin levels are too high, blood glucose levels fall. This may lead to immediate reactions such as confusion, loss of consciousness, or even death.
If insulin is too low, blood glucose levels rise to alarming levels. This may cause damage to the eyes, kidneys, nerves and heart. Most diabetics need to keep blood sugar levels high to avoid the life threatening risks of low blood sugar.
A cure for diabetes would restore the body’s ability to precisely respond to fluctuating glucose levels in the blood stream.
Your contribution will help doctors and scientists all over the world to bring an end to diabetes of all types. Together we can brighten the lives of people across the globe.
