A University of Calgary researcher believes he holds the key to a cure for diabetes. But Dr. Ji-Won Yoon won’t know for years if the “conceptual breakthrough” will become a reality.

In a news conference last week, Yoon, a researcher in the Faculty of Medicine, announced the discovery of a specialized gene that has caused rodents suffering from Type 1 diabetes to experience long-term remission.

“We expect this breakthrough to pave the way for us to develop a future therapy which we hope will cure diabetes in people,” said Yoon, an internationally recognized researcher and chair of the U of C’s Julia McFarlane Diabetes Research Centre.

The Canadian Diabetes Association estimates that two million Canadians have either Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes and say those numbers are growing. (A third type, gestational diabetes occurs in about 10 per cent of pregnant women but usually disappears after they give birth.)

“One case is diagnosed every hour in Canada,” said David Lau, director of the U of C research centre. “It doubles the risk of heart attacks and strokes and is the leading cause of blindness and kidney failure requiring dialysis. What is alarming is the prevalence is increasing.”

In 1995, according to the World Health Organization, about 135 million people worldwide had diabetes. The organization estimates the number will reach 300 million by 2025.

The research by Yoon and his colleague, Dr. Hyun Chul Lee of Korea, appears in the current issue of Nature, a leading research journal. Their work focuses on Type 1 diabetes although they hope that it will apply to some Type 2 sufferers as well.

Type 1, formerly known as juvenile diabetes, affects about 200,000 young Canadians. It occurs when the pancreas is unable to produce insulin. Insulin ensures sugar is delivered to the body’s cells so the body’s energy needs are met. Treatment requires daily injections of insulin, a regulated diet and daily exercise.

Yoon’s research required the one-time injection of a genetically engineered virus, which functions as a vehicle to transport the gene (known as SIA) into the liver of diabetic rodents. The gene contains a glucose regulator. When the glucose (sugar) level in the blood rises, the gene is activated and releases a modified version of insulin that perfectly controls the blood glucose.

In the test rodents, blood glucose levels were normal within one to two weeks of treatment and remained normal with no apparent side effects. Clinical studies on larger animals are expected in three or four years.

“What’s exciting is that Dr. Yoon’s study is providing a new approach and very innovative approach to really finding a cure for Type 1 diabetes and also potentially for Type 2,” said Lau.

“But I should caution you that the studies were done in rodents and the application to human clinical trials is still a few years away.”

Medical costs in Canada to manage diabetes are estimated to be $9 billion annually.

Approximately 1.8 million Canadians have Type 2 diabetes, which develops mainly in adulthood. In these cases, the pancreas does not produce enough insulin or the body does not effectively use the insulin that is produced. This diabetes can be controlled with a planned diet, exercise program and reduction in stress, although some people need to take insulin.

As the Boomer generation ages, the financial costs will grow. One in five seniors are expected to develop diabetes, said Lau.