Recent advancement in medical sciences has introduced Laparoscopic surgery. Guidelines from the National Institutes of Health say the surgery can be offered to people with a body mass index, (BMI) of over 40, or over 35 if the person has diabetes or another illness related to obesity. The American Diabetes Association also says people with type 2 diabetes and a BMI of over 35 should consider the surgery. Someone 5 feet 6 inches tall with a BMI of 35 would weigh 215 pounds and a BMI of 40 will weigh 245 pounds. This is a costly affair and everybody can't afford it but it's a ray of hope for the future.

Hope for an oral and long lasting Diabetic Therapy

Several studies have quoted that BDNF injections in diabetic mice have lowered glucose levels. BDNF has lasting effect on blood glucose levels and efficacy can be maintained with less frequent administration of BDNF in the body. One of the research groups has also claimed that BDNF administration prevents pancreatic exhaustion in diabetic mice.

One needs to understand the mechanisms of action of BDNF with pancreas and changes in the structure of BDNF reported in Humans and related model organisms. Research is on to understand the mechanisms of β-cell protective action of BDNF, PUFAs and BDNF + PUFAs complexes. One mechanism could be the suppression of pro-inflammatory cytokines production by BDNF, PUFAs and BDNF + PUFAs complexes. Initial studies at my lab also observed that the levels of BDNF are found to be higher in the Type II diabetic patients doing regular exercise as compared to the patients who never exercise. G196A mutation has been widely studied worldwide but most of them don't support its involvement with type 2 diabetes. 

Recent study published in March 12 in Nature Medicine reveals that there may be a way to stimulate expression of that gene to treat obesity caused by uncontrolled eating. The brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) governs the brain neurons to effectively pass the signals to body when one shall stop eating. Neurons can't communicate to produce the right signals required for the body and the person slowly becomes obese if there is a problem with the BDNF gene. Obese persons are at the highest risk of developing diabetes and many of them are already prediabetic. They realize this when they develop diabetes. A drug with a capacity to stimulate Hypothalamus can be effective here.

This important field of neuropathic factor Research has attracted lot of interest in the recent years. Structure based drug discovery and application of computational intelligence techniques in creating drug libraries and selection of leads may open up new horizons in another antidiabetic drug Research. There is great hope that soon we may physically have something which can replace insulin for treating the diabetes orally.