Brain Pathway Offers Potential New Hypoglycemia Treatment

A team of scientists from the University of Michigan Comprehensive Diabetes Center has taken a step forward in understanding how the brain senses low glucose levels and triggers the body’s response, which may accelerate potential new treatments for the disease. During the study, researchers identified a new pathway buried deep within a region of the brain called the parabrachial nucleus, where the hormone cholecystokinin (CCK) acts as a crucial sensor of blood glucose levels. The hormone helps orchestrate responses throughout the body when levels drop too low. “It is remarkable to find that such an incredibly small set of cells in the brain play such an important role in maintaining normal glucose levels,” said the study’s lead author. It’s known that CCK cells in the brain modify things like appetite and anxiety, but they had been previously overlooked in relation to blood-sugar levels. The discovery offers the potential to develop drugs that can target the CCK system, in order to boost defenses against hypoglycemia. To read more about this study, click here.