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Hibernating
grizzly bears are helping scientists figure out how to better treat Type 2
diabetes in humans. Bears go through three stages each year: active, hyperphagia, and
hibernation. During hyperphagia, they are focused on
consuming as much as possible to prepare for hibernation, which leads them to
develop insulin resistance.
Insulin resistance, in which the body improperly processes sugar, is often
the underlying cause of Type 2 diabetes for humans. The bears, however, don’t
develop diabetes — they go back to normal insulin function once they reenter the active
stage — so researchers are digging deeper into why that is.
A study published
earlier this month found that there are eight specific proteins that keep
bears out of the (diabetic) woods, a discovery scientists hope will one day lead to
treatments that reverse insulin resistance before it becomes diabetes in
humans. “All of these eight proteins have human homologues.
They’re not unique to bears,” co-author Joanna Kelley said in a press release. “The
same genes are in humans, so that means maybe there’s a direct opportunity
for translation.”
If this has you seeking more bear-related content, you can watch bears fish
for salmon in an Alaskan river on this 24/7 live bear cam.
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