Khaberni - More than 60 years after using the drug "Metformin" for treating Type II diabetes, scientists have discovered an unexpected mechanism that could reshape the understanding of its function within the body.
According to a report published by ScienceDaily quoting a study in the journal Science Advances, researchers from Baylor College of Medicine found that the drug does not only act through the liver or intestines as previously thought but directly affects the brain through a specific neural pathway.
The results showed that Metformin lowers blood sugar levels by inhibiting a protein known as "Rap1" in an area of the brain called the "hypothalamus", which is a region responsible for regulating vital processes including metabolism.
The Role of the Brain in Blood Sugar Regulation
The study relied on genetically modified mouse models, where this protein was disabled in them. When they were given low doses of Metformin, no improvement in blood sugar levels was observed, indicating that the presence of this protein is essential for the drug's efficacy.
In another experiment, researchers administered very small quantities of Metformin directly into the brain, resulting in a significant decrease in blood sugar levels, even though the dose was thousands of times less than usual doses.
The analyses also showed that the drug activates a specific type of neurons, which enhances its direct role in controlling glucose levels.
The researchers note that the brain reacts to Metformin at much lower concentrations compared to the liver or intestines, which explains its effectiveness even at low doses.
New Therapeutic Horizons
These results open the door to developing drugs that directly target this neural pathway, which could improve the effectiveness of current diabetes treatments.
Researchers also plan to study whether this same pathway can explain other known benefits of Metformin, such as its potential effect in slowing brain aging.
Despite the importance of this discovery, scientists stress that the results are still based on animal experiments, meaning that proving their effectiveness in humans requires more clinical studies.
These results reflect a shift in understanding diabetes treatment mechanisms, as the focus is no longer limited to traditional organs but extends to the brain as a main component in regulating blood sugar.
