Slime from the skin of a South American frog could provide a new treatment for diabetes, scientists say. The paradoxical frog, Pseudis paradoxa, secretes a substance from its skin which protects it from infection. But the molecule, pseudin-2, may have another use for humans. Researchers found that it stimulates the release of insulin, the vital hormone which is deficient in diabetes sufferers. Scientists made an artificial copy of the peptide, or protein building block, and showed that it could be used to boost insulin production in people with Type 2 diabetes. They believe it could provide a new diabetes drug treatment, part of a new class of medicines called incretin mimetics which mimic natural substances. However more work must be done before the frog therapy is ready to be tested on human patients.
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