Plegable Biología

1. DIABETES
María Del Mar Tamayo Calle
Medicine Student

2. BIBLIOGRAPHY DIABETES
By: María Del Mar Tamayo
Molecular Biology
Teacher: Lina Martínez
MEDICAL UTILITY
Diabetes is a disorder that has been
qualified as the XXI century epidemic.
According to the WHO it affects 382 millions
of people. That´s why is very important to be
investigating and finding new horizons to
treat this pathology.
The idea of finding compounds in food that
people usually like such as chocolate is very
striking. This could be the starting point for
looking for other foods that could have
other substances with properties that could
positively impact not only in diabetics’
health but also in other diseases.
• Harvard Medical School. (2017, August
30). Protecting the guardians: Gut
bacteria can alter the protective effects of
a gene that wards off type 1
diabetes. ScienceDaily. Retrieved October
2, 2017 from
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/08/
170830155511.htm
• Brigham Young University. (2017, August
28). Compounds in cocoa may help delay
onset of type 2 diabetes. ScienceDaily.
Retrieved October 3, 2017 from
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/08/
170828102728.htm
• Martinez Sanchez, Lina Maria. Biología
Molecular. 8 ed. Medellín: UPB.
Fac.Medicina
• Images fromPinterest
Since the study conducted at Harvard, it
was still a mystery the mechanism of how
the HLA/MHC has immunomodulatory
effects. So now that its known that this
gene has a protective influence shaped
by the gut microbiota, it could be used to
develop new immuno-modulating
therapies intended to keep the balance of
the gut microbiota.
This finding help to strengthen the idea
of the vital role of the bacteria in our
body,

3. INTRODUCTION
Diabetes is one of the
polygenic disorders more
frequent worldwide. It´s
characterized by an increase in
blood glucose levels.
In type 1 diabetes there´s an
autoimmune destruction of
beta cells so insulin is not
produced.
In type 2 diabetes, even though
insulin is produced, it doesn’t
work properly.
Nowadays, there are many
studies directed to prevent and
treat diabetes in order to
minimize the harmful effects of
the pathology and thereby
improve the patient´s health
condition.
It has been
thought to
introduce this
substances in food
or supplements to
regulate normal
blood glucose
levels and even
delay onset of type
2 diabetes.
PROTECTING THE
GUARDIANS
A guardian gene -HLA/MHC-,
human leukocyte antigen (HLA) in
humans and major
histocompatibility complexes
(MHC) in mice has a powerful
protecting function against
autoimmune diseases, mainly type
1 diabetes. Based on that,
experimenting with mice born with
this gene in Harvard Medical
School, it was figured out that this
gene protects pancreas thanks to
the trillions of intestinal bacteria.
But despite having the guardian
gene, the scientists noticed that
receiving antibiotics after birth or if
raised in a sterile environment,
mice lost their gene protection and
had a potential risk to acquire type
1 diabetes.
This results highlight the
importance of the gut microbiota
and the early exposure to germs to
get a microbiome balance.
COMPOUNDS IN COCOA MAY
HELP DELAY ONSET OF TYPE
2 DIABETES
Can you imagine the possibility of eating
chocolate to prevent and treat diabetes? This
might seem crazy but it´s real.
At Brigham Young University, it has
been discovered a compound naturally in
cocoa which improves beta cells ability to
secrete insulin.
The compounds named epicatechin
monomers protect the beta cells making them
more resistant to oxidative stress and thus
they work better.

4. INTRODUCTION
DM 1
Associated with the HLA locus
Causal genes have been identified in
the major histocompatibility complex
In younger adults and children
DM 2
A Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP)
which has more susceptibility to
developing type 2 diabetes has been
identified in the gene that produces
the calpain 10 protein
In overweight or obese people

5. Collaborators at Virginia Tech
observed a decrease in obesity
levels and an increment in
their ability to deal with high
glucose blood levels in animals
fed with the cocoa compound.
COMPOUNDS IN COCOA MAY HELP DELAY
ONSET OF TYPE 2 DIABETES

6. The BYU team dissected the
beta cell and found that
the epicatechin monomers
improve beta cells insulin
secretion
COMPOUNDS IN COCOA MAY HELP DELAY
ONSET OF TYPE 2 DIABETES

7. “The epicatechin monomers make
mitochondrias in the beta cells
stronger so they produce more ATP
resulting in more insulin
release.”Study author Jeffery Tessem,
assistant professor of nutrition, dietetics
and food science at BYU
COMPOUNDS IN COCOA MAY HELP
DELAY ONSET OF TYPE 2 DIABETES

8. Now they are looking how to take
out the compound of cocoa to
multiplicate it and use it as
treatment for diabetic patients.
COMPOUNDS IN COCOA MAY HELP
DELAY ONSET OF TYPE 2 DIABETES

9. STUDENT’S OPINION
This is a very interesting and promising
discovery. It could be a treatment that diabetics
would like not only because chocolate has a good
taste but also because of its low cost.
Also, it could be maybe a treatment that diabetics
wouldn’t forget easily like a pill or an injection.

10. Despite carrying the guardian gene, mice suffered a
pancreas severe inflammation that’s a precursor to
type 1 diabetes
Altered balance of the gut
microbiota
Never acquire gut microbial
balance
After being exposed to
antibiotics after birth
If raised in a sterile
cage
PROTECTING THE GUARDIANS

11. The administration of antibiotics in
the first six weeks of life in mice
bred to carry the guardian gene,
caused pancreatic inflammation.
Between six and ten weeks after
birth, the gene protection was
conserved and they didn’t developed
pancreatic inflammation.
There’s a critical period in which the newborn intestine is seeded by a
variety of bacteria
PROTECTING THE GUARDIANS

12. Mice whose protective gene was inherited from the
mother were resistant to diabetes in comparison
to the ones who got it from the father that
developed diabetes easily.
This shows the importance of the mother’s microbiota that
is passed on during birth.
PROTECTING THE GUARDIANS

13. The researchers performed fecal
transplants from mice with the HLA/MHC
gene to diabetes-prone mice without the
gene.
PROTECTING THE GUARDIANS
Result:
Diabetes-prone mice presented an important
reduction of pancreatic inflammation and
didn’t develop diabetes.

14. STUDENT’S OPINION
The gut microbiota is necessary for our survival. It has a
significant immunomodulatory and protector role.
This is why parents shouldn't be overprotective and pretend to
have their children in crystal balls keeping them away of any
dirt. ¡NO! Let them play, get dirty and be happy.
It´s essential for a correct development of the immune system
an early environmental exposure to a variety of germs.
Likewise, it´s important to be aware that pregnancy and early
infancy are very vulnerable stages so we have to avoid the use
of antibiotics.

15. Now that is known that chocolate is not bad
at all -knowing, of course that all in
excess in not advisable- scientist could
investigate about other foods that could
improve beta cells function so diabetics do
not have to deprive of many foods they like.
MEDICAL UTILITY

16. MEDICAL UTILITY
Despite it was a great discovery that the
microbiome is a potent modulator of disease,
it isn’t still completely clear how the
bacteria affect the HLA activity. Therefore,
other investigations aimed at solving this
could reveal another useful properties of the
bacteria.

17. To prevent the development of the
disease in people prone to
diabetes it could be performed a
therapy based on maintaining the
balance of the gut microbiota.
MEDICAL UTILITY

18. An important utility would be that scientist
search deeper about how the HLA/MHC is involved
in diabetes, specially type 1 diabetes, knowing
beforehand that their functions depend on other
mediators –like the gut microbiota- that we
probably don’t know yet.
Maybe it could be discovered the primary casual
agent.
MEDICAL UTILITY

19. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Harvard Medical School. (2017, August 30). Protecting the guardians: Gut
bacteria can alter the protective effects of a gene that wards off type 1
diabetes. ScienceDaily. Retrieved October 2, 2017 from
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/08/170830155511.htm
Brigham Young University. (2017, August 28). Compounds in cocoa may help
delay onset of type 2 diabetes. ScienceDaily. Retrieved October 3, 2017 from
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/08/170828102728.htm
Martinez Sanchez, Lina Maria. Biología Molecular. 8 ed. Medellín:
UPB. Fac.Medicina
Images from Pinterest