Dolphins: The Warriors Of Public Health
Did you know dolphins can play an important role in helping us maintain public health? Universally loved for their intelligence and friendliness, these sea creatures have also become a subject of interest in the research community. Dolphins can help scientists better understand the spread of diseases like measles, potentially develop better treatments for diabetes, and even detect ocean toxins! Check out the story for more details.
Platypuses Making a Splash in Diabetes Research
The platypus is a comical, egg-laying mammal with some strange anatomy. Dr. Briony Forbes and her team at the University of Adelaide have discovered a hormone in platypus venom that may hold the key to a long-lasting diabetes treatment.
Constricting Diabetes Using Python Plasma
Burmese pythons and other similar reptiles can go many months between meals, longer than most other organisms. We know what you’re thinking — how?
Using hormonal secretions that could give us insight into treating diabetes.
Powerful Spit from Gila Monsters Controls Diabetes
In the early 90s, an endocrinologist and research scientist named John Eng discovered a hormone in the Gila monster’s saliva similar to one in the human digestive tract that keeps blood sugar levels from spiking or dropping too low. He named the hormone exendin-4 and began exploring its tremendous potential as a treatment for type 2 diabetes. Exendin-4 is improving the lives of people with type 2 diabetes and has great potential for treating devastating neurological disorders.
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