Dia-B Believes Bark Could Help Diabetes Sufferers

Melbourne based biotechnology group Dia-B Tech Limited believes that it has found a natural alternative to anti-diabetes drug insulin in the bark of a species of vine found in rainforests of the Pacific Islands.



The chemical component produced from the vine occurs in traditional medicines but it has not been used for anti-diabetic or hypoglycaemic purposes. It is now being tested for insulin-like properties in bioassay systems, said Dia-B's Chairman Dr Michael Wooldridge.



"The medical and commercial potential this represents would be significant in the event that further research confirms that the component effectively acts as a natural 'proxy' for insulin," said Dr Wooldridge.



"This is because the synthetic insulin has debilitating effects on a number of human organs when used over a long time."



Dia-B's IM014 project is looking for a natural remedy to address type 2 diabetes and obesity.



"While this is only an indicative finding, further research is being undertaken to further identify the similarities of this component with the synthetically derived insulin used in most treatment of diabetes," Dr Wooldridge said.



In another Dia-B project, researchers at the Baker Medical Research Institute have previously identified a protein (CDA1) that offers the potential for a drug to be developed to prevent the scarring and further kidney and vascular complications caused by diabetes.



Recent breakthrough research has identified another protein found to interact with CDA1.



This is another promising approach in terms of understanding the biological roles of CDA1 and how it works, said the Baker's head of their JDRF Diabetes and Metabolism Division, Professor Mark Cooper.



"This will also provide a valuable opportunity to block CDA1's actions via interrupting the interaction between CDA1 and its important partner proteins. We will also continue to identify more proteins interacting with CDA1," Professor Cooper said.



"All of our work has strengthened the likelihood that CDA1 is an excellent target to reduce scarring, a major aim of the project."



Dia-B researchers intend to conduct further animal trials, and the Company is investigating protecting this latest discovery in research through a provisional patent application.



Further Intellectual Property, once patented, will give Dia-B a suite of Intellectual Property over the Company's diabetes research projects covering types 1 and 2 diabetes, and diabetes complications.



Dia-B Tech Limited

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