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Show _TheSalt LakeTribune SCIENCE Friday, May Jungle Fungus Shows Promise THE ASSOCIATED PRESS ers who tested more than 50,000 natural and synthetic substances say they have found a fungus compound that acts like insulin, raising the possibility that diabetics in the future maytake pills instead of shots. Scientists at Merck Research Laboratories isolated the insulinlike compound from a fungus found in the jungles of Congoin West Africa. Whenit was tested on mice that havediabetes,the re- searchers found that it significantly lowered the sugar in the animals’ blood. The researchers said the compoundis a mimic of insulin, the natural hormonethat allows the body to metabolize sug‘This could potentially be used to replace insulin shots in diabetes,” said Bei Zhang of Merck, the jead author of a study to be pub- lished today in the journal Science She cautioned, however, that “it is still very early,” and that years of research remainbefore the compoundcouldbe tested in humans. The compound, called L783.281, was found by a teamthat laboriously tested 50,000 sub- Genecontrols bacterial assault; discovery maylead to medicines through a five-year process of examining bacterial genes that are turnedon at thestart of an infection in a host animal. Often these of each cell. This activates an enzymethatsets off a series of bio- THE ASSOCIATED PRESS into action only when the pathogen is starting an infection inside an animal logical Steps, enabling the cells to absorband use sugar WASHINGTON — Inadiscovery that could lead to powerful newvaccines andantibiotics, researchershave isolated a key gene that bacteria use to launchkiller infections. Researchersat the Universityof California, insulin. L-783,281 links up witha Specific molecule on the surface Diabetes is caused when the bodyis unable to make insulin, or becomes unable to use insulin properly People with Type 1 diabetes the most serious form of the disase, mayrequire up to four insu- lin shots a day to maintain the properglucoselevel. TypeI diabetes most commonly is diagnosed amongchildren and young people researchers carried it to the next step — testing on animals. Two strains of mice that naturally develop diabetes weretreated with the compound, and tests showed that L-783,281 helped the use cells to take glucose, or sugar, from the blood stream. Zhang said the compound works in much the same wayas Santa Barbara (UCSB), have demonstratedin laboratory studies that removingorinactivating a gene called DAMcan disarm strain of salmonella, bacteria that cause food poisoning in humans. “We've uncovered a genetic master switch that controls bacterial infection,” id Michael Mahan, the study's lead author and a UCSBprofessor. “When we knock out this In type I] diabetes, which af- switch, the bacterium is completely disabled fects about 10 percent of Americans older than 40, patients are able to make insulin, but cells in the body become insensitive to the journal Science. Mahan said the DAM gene was found hormone. Type II diabetes usual- in its ability to cause disease.” The studyis to be published today in the ly is controlled bydiet, weight loss and taking pills that improve the body'sutilization of insulin. Some drugsrecently approved by the GRAND OPENING infection,” more powerful than a dosethat is lethal to half of all mice. None of the animals developec disease, said Mahan ‘here are 2.500 strains of salmonella thai cause diseases ranging from food poison: t “Bacterial pathogensactlike a Trojan horse —theyhidetheir weaponsuntil theyare with- typhoid fever. Poorlycookedpoultry andeggs are a commonsourceof salmonella foodpoi in an animal,” said Mahan. As aresult, some soning, and some experts have estimated that bacterial genes that cause infection “are turned on inside a mouse and off outside a mouse,” he said. The UCSBresearchers. using salmonella, found that the DAMgene made proteinthat turned on other genes that started theinfec upto 4 million Americansare affected annual This is a breakthrough discovery,” When strains of salmonella were created that permanently disabled the DAMgene, the microbe could not causediseasein mice. The altered bacteria also actedlike a vac Di , a part of the National Institutes o: Health, cautioned that the value of the DAM research will not be knownuntil it is tested cine, causing the mouse’s immunesystem to and proved to work in humans salmonella The mousehas not been a very good mod for what will happen with salmonella in hu “Mice immunized with this crippled strain of salmonella were completely protected from SL TWO said Philip Hanna, a microbiologist at Duke Uni versity Medical Center. “They have found a ster switch that turns on virulence.’ But Regina Rabinovich, a scientist at the National Institute of Allergy and Infection tion process makeantibodies that would attack said Mahan. he said Some of the mice were in jected with a salmonella dose 10,000 time genes are quiet in laboratory dishes and go a * said Rabinovich Va start ae as ae trees!!! Holladay Gated Community ~ New Two-story and Rambler Homes from $249,900! Food and Drug Administration are for the treatment of Type II diabetes All diabetic patients must fre- quently check glucose levels in their bloodin order to properly stances collected from aroundthe world, checking each oneforits ability to mimic the action of insulin, L-783,281 was found to be promising in test-tube studies, so Al7 Scientists Find the ‘Master Switch’ for Infections For Pill to Control Diabetes WASHINGTON — Research- 7, 1999 The compound can be absorbed by thedigestive system andstill act onthecells of the body. Insulin is destroyedbydigestion and, for this reason, must be given by injection, a regimenthat is often difficult for patients to accept Dr. Robert Goldstein, vice president of research at the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation, said thediscoveryof L-783,281 “is a real advance” in diabetes research “This still needs a lot of work,” hesaid THE WILLOWS OF HOLLADAY iyou could choose oneplace to “move down”or ‘move up"in sat Lake it wovebe,in ae We've agreatselection of great trees. Size and price rangestosuit every need and budget. For generations, great (and big) treesinthe Salt Lake Valley have come from Western Garden Centers. We'vechosenthemwith you, and Utah,in mind!!! Buyersforthe temporary gardendisplaysat Big Retailers maylive time zones away. They don’t garden in Utah. Wedo. CAR Moan VICTIMS Hugeselection oftop quality trees... Varieties chosen by Utahns for Utah... 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