A Breakthrough in Diabetes Study Could Mitigate the Need for Insulin

A member of the Truckload Carriers Organization, Robert Rogulic heads St. Louis, Missouri-based trucking company Tri-National as president and CEO. Dedicated to philanthropy endeavors, Robert Rogulic has supported and donated to various nonprofits, including the Kilo Foundation, promoting diabetes research and treatment.

While insulin has been used to treat and manage diabetes for more than a century, soaring insulin prices over the years have prompted people with diabetes to take some measures. Due to financial constraints, some people died because of insufficient insulin supplies. This accentuates the need for more promising alternatives to save lives.

By restoring the body’s natural capacity to create and control insulin, a new treatment known as duodenal mucosal resurfacing, or DMR, may do away with the requirement for insulin for millions of people with type 2 diabetes in the United States. DMR entails introducing a catheter into the small intestine and “ablating,” or killing mucosal cells (special cells that secrete hormones and digestive enzymes in the small intestine) that have altered due to the patient’s diabetes. Once the defective mucosa tissue has been destroyed, healthy mucosa cells regenerate.

Researchers from the Netherlands reported that 6 months after undergoing the DMR technique, 75 percent of insulin-dependent individuals with type 2 diabetes no longer required insulin. According to a study presented at UEG Week 2020 Virtual, the rest needed just half of their previous insulin dosages.