Jo’s Cafe

via Medical News Today

A protein in the pancreas is giving researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine their first chance at cracking the code that determines how diabetes develops during pregnancy, a finding that could lead to new treatments for all forms of diabetes.

The study may help explain why roughly 5 percent of women develop diabetes temporarily while pregnant, a condition called gestational diabetes. That condition is a leading cause of birth defects and can predispose the child to develop diabetes later in life.

“The basis of gestational diabetes has been a black box,” said Seung Kim, MD, PhD, associate professor of developmental biology and senior author on the study. The results are published in the Nov. 2 issue of the journal Science.

The protein Kim and his colleagues studied, called menin, was already known to have a role in preventing cancer in the pancreas and other organs. When menin is present it blocks the growth of pancreatic cells and, in that way, prevents cancer.

Further Reading:

• WebMD: Pregnancy: Gestational Diabetes
• Diabetes.About.com: Pregnancy and Diabetes