Development of a new anti-inflammatory peptide for treatment of type II diabetes

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Type II diabetes (T2DM) affects more than 5% of the population in Western countries. In the US alone, about 23.6M children and adults have diabetes, and the associated cost was estimated to 174 billion in 2007. The rise in T2DM prevalence is linked to the dramatically increased incidence of obesity, which now affects about a third of the adult US population. Historically, T2DM was only seen in adults, but it is increasin steadily in children where the obesity rate is approaching 17% (2-19 year- old). Insulin resistance and beta-cell dysfunction are key components of the T2DM pathology. Without intervention to reduce insulin resistance and the associated loss of beta-cell mass, T2DM patients can develop a need for insulin therapy similar to type I diabetes patients. Although a range of therapeutics exist for improving insulin resistance and glucose tolerance in T2DM patients, the cost and outcomes for this patient population show there is a dire need for novel ther