Nowadays, few people die of diabetes, but they do die of a series of health upsets that appear in diabetics in the long term. That is scientists are taking more and more interest in these kidney, retina or blood vessels diseases. A UGR study shows some of the keys of a protein related to these problems. The doctoral thesis, supervised by lecturers Rafael Salto González and María Dolores Girón, studies in depth the molecular basis of the late diabetic syndrome.
When there is a high level of glucose in blood, there is a modificaction of these proteins as glucose joins. This process called glycosylation can be brief and not cause any problem in diabetics´ health. But if hyperglicemy persists, proteins can be damaged forever. Such modified proteins are erecognised by the Receptor for Advanced Glycosylation End products (RAGE). The level of these scientific works has won the group of Caballero Barquero a collaboration contract with the drug company BAYER.
This research work has confirmed a well-known fact: a diet with antioxidant compounds, like wine or olive oil, may have a beneficial effect on these alterations. Moreover, this opens a new field to understand how genetic composition influences those affected by this syndrome, apart from the fact that they look after themselves to a greater or a lesser extent as for diet and life style. After working with rats, animal models that are usually used in previous work related to health studies, they are trying to apply the results obtained to new therapeutical solutions by testing human cells in laboratory. “There are hopeful signs, but we must be cautious”, stresses Salto González.
New medicines
Thus, long-term results of this research work could lead to the design of new medicines to block or desestabilize glycosylation mechanisms in cell surface, reducing the risk of suffering damage in kidney or blood vessels tissues. On the other hand, new prevention techniques could be set in motion, depending on diabetics´ genetic variability.
“Studies on this subject are plentiful since the early nineties, inside and outside Spain. Glycosylation, apart from being related to the late diabetic syndrome, influences the appearance of diseases like Alzheimer or cancer”, explain the supervisors of the thesis. Recently, laboratory tests have been carried out in New York in connection with human cancer cells metastasis. Scientists from Granada are working on another thesis which studies in depth the extrapolation to humans of Caballero Barquero´s findings in rats.
Further information: Prof. Rafael Salto González.
Dpt. of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (F. of Pharmacy).
Phone number: 958 246363 / 243838.
E-mail: rsalto@ugr.es
