A recent study has revealed that diabetes mellitus will cause various health issues including a decline in skeletal mass.
The new research led by Professor Wataru Ogawa at the Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine found that elevated blood sugar levels will cause muscle atrophy and it is caused by two proteins named WWP1 and KLF15.
It should be noted that scientists were previously aware of muscle loss due to diabetes mellitus. However, the new study, published in JCI Insight, tried to figure out this underlining mechanism behind this phenomenon, and they figured out the roles played by WWP1 and KLF15 proteins behind the muscle loss factor.
During the study, researchers found that the abundance of transcription factor KLF15 increased in skeletal muscle of diabetic mice. Mice who lacked KLF15 showed resistance to muscle decline caused due to diabetes mellitus.
The study team investigated the way in which the KLF15 protein affects the decline of skeletal muscles in mice. The research revealed that elevation of blood sugar levels slows down the degradation of KLF15 protein. As the KLF15 protein level increases, it will elevate the muscle atrophy and usually, the patient will be susceptible to various other diseases.
Professor Wataru Ogawa and his team also found that another protein named WWP1 also plays a crucial role in regulating the degradation of KLF15. This is for the first time that a study is finding the relation between these two proteins and diabetes-induced muscle loss.
Professor Wataru Ogawa also added that more research in this area will bring revolutionary changes in treating muscle loss associated with diabetes mellitus.
"If we develop a drug that strengthens the function of WWP1 or weakens the function of KLF15, it would lead to a groundbreaking new treatment," said Wataru Ogawa, Eurekalert.org reports.
A few weeks back, a research report published in the journal Stem Cell Reports has revealed that stem cell therapy can be adapted to treat diabetes. As per the research report, stem cells can be transformed into insulin-producing cells, and thus blood sugar levels can be controlled easily.
