Diabetes Link to the Nervous System

On my case studies page I have noted an article in an issue of Cell (Dec. 15, 2006), that might bring hope to millions suffering from diabetes. In December 2006, Canadian scientists reported having found a link between Type-I diabetes and excretion of a chemical called “substance P” by the nervous system. This link suggests that this type of diabetes might be either caused (in part), or controlled, by defective sensory nerves. This new information represents a significant breakthrough in a disease that has been treated with insulin injections since the FDA approved the use of insulin in 1939. If accurate, this breakthrough has huge potential for the development of new, and more long-lasting treatments for diabetes.