According to a press release on January 16, 2007 from Elixir Pharmaceuticals, new data may lead to a treatment for type 2 diabetes.
Elixir is based in Cambridge, MA and has been studying ghrelin (pronounced GRELL-in), a hormone that is secreted by the stomach. Ghrelin was first discovered in 1999 and has been dubbed the "hunger hormone" for several years. Many scientists believe that it is one of the major causes of obesity.
According to Elixir's Chief Scientific Officer, Peter DiStefano, the hormone is one of the most promising areas of research targeting diabetes and obesity. In a statement from the company, he said, " These preclinical data provide compelling evidence and further confirm ghrelin's role in metabolic regulation. Importantly, our scientists have shown pharmacologic inhibition of the ghrelin receptor results in a reduction in fasting glucose levels, reduction in insulin resistance, and weight loss.
Elixir's web site states the company is a "biopharmaceutical company utilizing aging research to develop pharmaceuticals that treat and/or prevent metabolic diseases such as obesity and diabetes. Our technology is based on the recent discovery that aging is genetically controlled and is intimately related to the diseases of obesity and diabetes. We have identified many of the genes that regulate aging and the pathways and proteins encoded by these longevity genes are the targets of our drug discovery efforts."
The company is open to collaboration with other researchers. If you have news to share, contact them at collab@elixirpharm.com
We'll keep you posted on Ghrelin - the hunger hormone - and any other good news that comes from the research. I know my fingers are crossed.
