Medilytix Health Desk:
Researchers at IIT Mandi have identified a drug molecule that can be used to treat diabetes. The molecule, called PK2, is able to trigger the release of insulin by the pancreas, and can potentially be used as an orally administered medicine for diabetes, IIT Mandi said in a press release.
The findings of the research have been published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry.
Diabetes is associated with insufficient insulin release by the beta cells of the pancreas in response to blood glucose levels. The release of insulin entails many intricate biochemical processes. One such process involves protein structures called GLP1R present in the cells. In one such process, a hormonal molecule, called GLP1, released after the ingestion of a meal, binds to proteins, called GLP1R. This triggers the release of insulin.
Current drugs used for the treatment of diabetes, such as exenatide and liraglutide, mimic GLP1 and bind to GLP1R to trigger insulin release. However, these drugs are administered as injections, and they are costly and unstable after administration. “We seek to find simpler drugs that are stable, cheap, and effective against both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes,” the release quoted study author Dr Prosenjit Mondal, Associate Professor, School of Basic Sciences, as saying.
To find alternatives to these commonly used drugs, the research team first used computer simulation methods to screen various small molecules that can bind with GLP1R. They identified the molecules PK2, PK3, and PK4 as possessing good binding abilities with GLP1R. Eventually, they chose PK2 because of its better solubility. The researchers then synthesized PK2 in the lab for further testing.