A natural carbohydrate found to help lower blood sugar levels could be used to develop new diabetes drugs, say researchers.
A team of scientists from the University of Virginia found that a carbohydrate molecule could help regulate blood sugar levels by removing glucose from the body and storing it in the liver and muscles instead.
Lead researcher professor Joseph Larner, who has been studying the molecule, known as INS2, for over 20 years, said: "We believe this molecule works by sending a message inside the cell to respond to insulin, which helps cells dispose of excess glucose."
Professor Larner and his colleagues isolated INS2 from cow livers and injected it into diabetic rats with high blood sugar levels.
The rats were then injected with insulin and it was found that the more INS2 was injected, the lower blood sugar levels fell.
The team concluded that the molecule "potentiates the action of insulin" and successfully lowers blood sugar levels.
According to the scientists the molecule could lead to the development of new drugs for people suffering from type-two diabetes, the most common form of the disease.
In type-two diabetes, the blood has normal to high levels of insulin but the liver and muscles do not respond well to it, causing blood sugar levels to stay high.
The researchers believe that by removing the insulin from the blood and isolating it in the liver and muscles, diabetes sufferers could better control their blood sugar levels.