Scientists trace bacteria behind Type 2 diabetes, vaccine being tested

Toxins produced by a certain bacterium may be the reason behind Type-2 diabetes, say researchers who found symptoms of the disease in rabbits when exposure to the toxins for too long. The research could help in development of a vaccine to prevent the most prevalent diseases of our times. The researchers found that prolonged exposure to a toxin produced by Staphylococcus aureus (staph) bacteria causes rabbits to develop the hallmark symptoms of Type-2 diabetes, including insulin resistance, glucose intolerance, and systemic inflammation. “We basically reproduced Type-2 diabetes in rabbits simply through chronic exposure to the staph superantigen,” said lead researcher Patrick Schlievert, professor at University of Iowa. The findings suggested that therapies aimed at eliminating staph bacteria or neutralising the superantigens – toxins produced by all strains of staph bacteria – might have potential for preventing or treating Type 2 diabetes. “We are working on a vaccine against the superantigens and we believe that...