Amyloid protein has long been a culprit in Alzheimer's. Now researchers are exploring if the malfunctioning protein also plays a role in Type 2 diabetes, making it a potential new target for drug developers.

Writing in Nature Immunology, scientists in Dublin, Ireland theorize that amyloid protein can trigger a reaction that ultimately destroys insulin-producing pancreatic cells. Researchers noted some years ago that the aberrant protein was present in pancreatic tissue samples taken from diabetics, a disease that typically develops later in life. But rather than attacking the cells directly, the new research indicates that amyloid protein actually interferes with an immune cell that the body relies on to clear up debris. That interference spurred proteins that trigger inflammation related to diabetes.

"What we have is a second indirect mechanism which can lead to the destruction of beta cells, and this could be helpful when looking at other diseases which may involve amyloid, such as Alzheimer's," Leeds University scientist Eric Hewitt tells the BBC. "It does offer a possible opportunity to interrupt this mechanism at some point in the future and perhaps stop the disease from progressing."

- here's the story from the BBC

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