2023-11-12 14:29:39
We call them type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes, but they seem to have less and less in common: in both cases the metabolism of glucose, the main fuel for the body’s tissues, no longer works as it should, so sugar levels rise in the blood, i.e. blood sugar. But, beyond this and the fact that both pathologies are on the increase, these are diseases that science has shown to be very different in terms of causes, methods of prevention and therapy, and partly also in terms of their consequences.
The new scientific discoveries on diabetes with the aim of better understanding the two types of disease were discussed at Tempo della Salute, underway in Milan at the Museum of Science and Technology, during a meeting Diabetes, plural noun, moderated by the journalist Elena Meli, with Emanuele Bosi, head of the diabetology and hepatology outpatient service of the Irccs San Raffaele Hospital in Milan, Lorenzo Piemonti, head of the regenerative medicine and transplant operations unit at the San Raffaele Hospital in Milan and director of the Diabetes Research Institute ; Massimo Ambrosini, sports manager and former footballer who recently spoke about his experience as father of a child with type 1 diabetes.
Type 1 diabetes
Type 1 diabetes has autoimmune bases and often manifests itself at a young or very young age: in this case the immune system accidentally attacks the cells of the pancreas that produce insulin, the hormone necessary to manage the glucose in circulation, and this it leads to the inability of the tissues to use sugar, with blood sugar levels rising dramatically.
Type 2 diabetes
Excess sugar in the blood also exists in the case of type 2 diabetes, which however is a metabolic pathology: in these people, who are older at the onset of the disease, the production of insulin is not interrupted but the tissues gradually become more resistant to the action of the hormone due to an incorrect lifestyle made of sedentary lifestyle, unhealthy diet, overweight or obesity. Blood sugar levels rise slowly, for years, putting at risk the functionality of the circulation and also that of tissues and organs such as the retina, heart or kidneys; Even in these people, insulin may sooner or later become useful, whereas in the case of type 1 diabetes it is immediately essential.
Genetic and environmental factor
Emanuele Bosi underlines that type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease caused by something we don’t yet know. There is an interaction between genetic predisposition and the environmental factor, which is the real black hole of our knowledge. taking into account that diabetes 1 has grown dramatically in recent years. For type 2 diabetes, I know, lifestyle matters. Sedentary lifestyle and being overweight predispose to the disease but the individual can do a lot and act preventatively. Today in the world there are 500 million people with type 2 diabetes. It is necessary to increase awareness but also at an infrastructure level it is important to make the right choices: it is difficult to move around and cycle to work without cycle paths, underlines Piemonti.
Screening for diabetes 1
The major scientific news concerns type 1 diabetes. Bosi recalls how the disease in children has an acute and dramatic onset, with even serious symptoms within a few days. We need to intervene immediately with insulin therapy. The onset of diabetes 1 is acute, but the latency period of the disease is very long. Diabetes 1 can be identified with a blood test that measures antibodies: with this test it is possible to identify people who will develop the disease. In September 2023, a law was unanimously approved by Parliament which provides for the screening of children for diabetes 1 and celiac disease, another autoimmune disease. The law passed, now must be implemented but Italy can become a model. Massimo Ambrosini, father of a child with type 1 diabetes confirms: The initial impact is heavy, there is concern and also ignorance because there is little knowledge. Knowing about the disease is a way to have a sufficient window of time to prepare and not be caught off guard as happened to us. I knew nothing about type 1 diabetes
Lee knows
Scientists, however, dream of arriving at a world free from insulin injections, and no longer out of reach as Piemonti underlines. The so-called artificial pancreas has in fact already entered the clinic, in fact, regenerative medicine is making giant strides and is starting to outline a future in which people with type 1 diabetes will finally be able to do without insulin. Today we have artificial systems that deliver insulin, an algorithm uses a glucose sensor to calculate how much insulin to inject based on the time of day we are in, says Bosi. Piedmont among the scientists who would like to free patients from insulin injections. Research is underway to modify insulin-producing stem cells in the laboratory into those capable of normalizing blood sugar levels. Clinical trials are ongoing with 17 patients.
November 12, 2023 (modified November 12, 2023 | 12:44)
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