A new antidiabetic drug that preserves the activity of insulin-producing beta cells and prevents high blood glucose was highlighted in Science Translational Medicine.
“We postulated that this state mediates a hypoxic phenotype driven by hypoxia-inducible factor–1α (HIF-1α) and that treatment with the HIF-1α inhibitor PX-478 would improve β cell function,” the study states.
“Our studies showed that the HIF-1α protein was present in pancreatic β cells of diabetic mouse models.”
The study, initiated on rodents, suggests that the HIF-1α inhibitor PX-478 may act to preserve β cell function, thus functioning as diabetes therapy.
“Our study shows that this leads to a hypoxic state that increases the levels of HIF-1alpha protein, which in turn reduces beta cell activity. By treating diabetic mice with the HIF-1alpha inhibitor PX-478, we successfully decreased their blood glucose levels,” one expert from Karolinska Institutet explained in a news release.
The study was published online on March 30th, 2022.
