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Targeting the brain as a cure for type 2 diabetes

A recent study has shown that a single dose of fibroblast growth factor (FGF) 1 into the central nervous system (CNS) of various mouse and rat models of type 2 diabetes results in profound and exceptionally long-lasting reductions in blood glucose. This work raises the possibility of truly revolutionary therapies for individuals with type 2 diabetes that target the brain FGF system.

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Figure 1: Scarlett et al. demonstrate that CNS administration of FGF1 in rodent models of diabetes type 2 causes sustained normalization of glucose levels (T2DM remission).

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Acknowledgements

D.A.S. has received research support from Novo Nordisk, Ethicon, Janssen and Boehringer Ingelheim. R.J.S. has received research support from Novo Nordisk, Ethicon, Janssen, Sanofi and Boehringer Ingelheim. R.J.S. has also served as a paid consultant for Novo Nordisk, Ethicon, Janssen, Novartis, Nestle, Daiichi Sankyo and Takeda.

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Correspondence to Randy J Seeley.

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Seeley, R., Sandoval, D. Targeting the brain as a cure for type 2 diabetes. Nat Med 22, 709–711 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1038/nm.4137

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