A new enzyme, discovered by a Montreal research team, can help fight diseases such as obesity and type 2 diabetes.
The enzyme, Glycerol 3-PHOSPHATE PHOSPHATASE (G3PP), was discovered by scientists from the Research Center of the University of Montreal (CRCHUM).
The work was published on Monday, January 11 at the Diario Proceedings, of the National Academy of Sciences, of the United States.
G3PP is a natural enzyme that controls glucose and removes excess cell sugar, protecting beta cells that produce insulin in the pancreas and other organs of the damage produced by high glucose levels.
Dr. Marc Prentki, who directed the investigation together with his colleague, Dr. Murthy Madiraju, said that one of the great problems of modern society is that people, in general, eat many calories with respect to what they burn.
This imbalance produces glucose levels that are excessively high for the body, which can generate a progressive deterioration of the organs.
Obesity and type 2 diabetes are some of the two problems that arise when there is excess glucose in the body.In turn, diabetes begins to affect other organs of the human body.
The discovery of the G3PP enzyme is only the first step to open a window of options to patients.Now it will be necessary to develop a medication that activates the enzyme.
