Researchers reveal how vitamin K may help prevent diabetes: study

Canadian researchers have identified how vitamin K helps prevent diabetes, a discovery that could lead to new therapeutic applications for a disease that affects one in 11 people worldwide and has no cure. Is. Several studies have previously suggested an association between low intake of vitamin K and an increased risk of diabetes. However, the biological mechanism by which vitamin K protects against diabetes has remained a mystery until now.

The Université de Montréal (UdeM) team found a possible protective role of vitamin K and gamma-carboxylation in beta cells. Vitamin K is a micronutrient best known for its role in blood clotting, specifically in gamma-carboxylation – an enzymatic reaction essential to the process.

The study, published in the journal Cell Reports, determined that enzymes involved in gamma-carboxylation and therefore in the use of vitamin K were present in large amounts in pancreatic beta cells, the same cells that produce the precious insulin that regulates blood sugar levels. Are. ,

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“Diabetes is known to be caused by a reduction in the number of beta cells or their inability to produce enough insulin, so we are deeply interested in this novel finding,” said Matthew Ferron, Associate Research Professor of Medicine at UDEM.

“We were able to identify a new gamma-carboxylated protein called ERGP,” said Julie Lacombe, who works in Ferran’s lab.

“Our study shows that this protein plays an important role in maintaining physiological levels of calcium in beta cells to prevent dysregulation of insulin secretion. Finally, we showed that gamma-carboxylation of ERGP is required to play its role.” Vitamin K is essential through.”

This is the first time in 15 years that a novel vitamin K-dependent protein has been identified, opening a new area of ​​research in this field.