In my previous post it was stated that T1D is caused by loss of insulin-secreting capacity of the β cells and, finally, by selective death of these cells in the islets of Langerhans in the pancreas.That offers interesting area for drug development due to its complexity and high economical potential but it has only limited or near zero value for understanding the causative factors behind the disease. If we would like to learn more about the reasons or causes behind the increased incidence of T1D we have to take a closer look at the environmental factors connected to diabetes and try to find answers that are urgently needed around the globe.
In the medical literature environment has often been seen as a hostile disease provoking thing with viruses, pathogenic microbes, toxins or pollution. Chronic inflammatory diseases are usually looked from this perpective too. At the case of T1D extendive amound of work has been done in identifying triggering factors like dietary antigens or microbial derived β cell cytolytic toxins.
Let's take a moment and recall the story of the Big Bad Wolf and Three Little Pigs:
T1D and promoting environmental factors was seen as Mr. Wolf, genetically approriate food for the Mr. Wolf as Piglets, protective environmental factors between poor little genetics and T1D as building materials.
In the light of this educational story wouldn't it be kind of stupid if we put all the money, time and energy in figuring out why Mr. Wolf is a wolf and what makes him interested in eating little pink piglets? What if we just acknowledged that wolf does what it does because it is a wolf? It is in it's nature. If we try to completely wipe out piglet eating wolfs (antigens, viruses etc.) from the earth other problems will emerge. Instead of wolf hunting we could aim our efforts into protective building materials with a goal to protect little piglets as good as possible despite of the presence of the wolf.
Let's try to find the bricks that'll help piglets to survive!
No comments:
Post a Comment