Platypus Venom Could Be A Promising Cure For Diabetes, Study Finds

Scientists discovered a key for treating diabetes in the form of the venom of the Australian duck-billed platypus. Together with echidna, they could lead to the new treatments for people diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.

The findings of the study were printed in the Nature Journal Scientific Reports. It was led by Professor Frank Grutzner at the University of Adelaide and Associate Professor Briony Forbes at Flinders University, according to Science Daily.

The platypus and the echidna are the world's only surviving monotremes, in which they are egg-laying mammals. These animals produce a hormone variant that could help humans control blood sugar levels well.

Professor Grutzner said that they discovered that monotremes such as the iconic platypus and echidna have evolved changes in the hormone GLP-1 that make it resistant to the rapid degradation normally seen in humans. He further said that they have found that GLP-1 is degraded in monotremes by a completely different mechanism. He added that further analysis of the genetics of monotremes reveals that there seems to be kind of molecular warfare going on between the function of GLP-1 that is produced in the gut and surprising also in their venom.

GLP-1 is a hormone also referred to as the glucagon-like peptide. This hormone is secreted in the gut of both humans and animals. It is a potent antihyperglycemic hormone that releases the hormone insulin in response to rising glucose while subduing the glucagon secretion. It stimulates the release of insulin to reduce the blood glucose.

Platypus generates strong venom during the breeding season. Professor Forbes said that the function in venom has most likely triggered the evolution of a stable form of GLP-1 in monotremes. She further said that stable GLP-1 molecules are highly desirable as potential type 2 diabetes treatments. Meanwhile, Professor Grutzner said that these findings have the potential to inform diabetes treatment. He added that how they can convert this finding into a treatment will need to be the subject of future research.