New indication of a link between Alzheimer’s and diabetes
Around 120 years ago, US doctor Eugene Lindsay Opie discovered unusual protein deposits in the pancreases of patients with type 2 diabetes that were similar to those found in the brain for many neurodegenerative diseases. Type 2 diabetes is one of the most widespread diseases, formerly known as adult-onset diabetes. The deposits, known as islet amyloid, comprise tiny protein threads known as fibrils. In the case of diabetes, they consist of the peptide hormone IAPP. In the pancreas, they contribute to the death and dysfunction of beta cells that are responsible for producing insulin.
