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Healing and HopeA Newsletter of the Diabetes Institutes FoundationJune 2006A NOTE FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Dear Reader, Summer is fast approaching, the heat is on, and many of us will be soon be on the run or on vacation. June is an exciting month for the Strelitz Diabetes Institutes scientists, physicians and medical professionals as many attend the two major diabetes conferences held this time of year. In June's e-newsletter, I am excited to share with you more intriguing new scientific developments with the INGAP Peptide - this time for application on the most common of diabetes complications - neuropathy. Phyllis Woodson, the SDI dietitian, gives us valuable tips for eating healthy snacks. Her advice comes in especially handy as many of us head to the beach or outdoor activities and want to include in-between meal munchies. Thank you to the Port of Hampton Roads! On May 25th, the International Longshoremen's Association and the Hampton Roads Shipping Association sponsored the 12th Annual Cookout for the Cure raising $60,000 for the Institutes. During the past 12 years, the Port has raised $900,000. That's a lot of barbecue! Visit our special events page to view Cookout photographs. Congratulations to the United Steelworkers who won the big prize - the People's Choice Award. We’re eagerly anticipating DIF-New York's 15th Annual Lee Mazzilli Tournament at the Seawane Country Club in Hewlett Harbor, Long Island. It's always a great event. For more information, click here. Enjoy the summer everyone. Best, FOUNDATION NEWS
Good Times in Fleet Park! As you can see, everyone had a great time at the 12th Annual Cookout for the Cure, at Fleet Park on May 25th. KISS FM's Cocoa Butter was a wonderful new addition as emcee, the Hurrah Players and Starlight Singers provided musical entertainment and ClearChannel stations 105.3 KISS FM, Lite FM 107.7 and COOL FM 92.1 were on-hand with cool giveaways. DIF's biggest event, the Cookout for the Cure is a testament to the teamwork between the Hampton Roads Shipping Association and the International Longshoremen's Association. We are very grateful for their continued support in producing this wonderful event year after year. Sixteen "grill teams" competed for a chance of winning "Best Of" in eight different categories. The 2006 Cookout for the Cure Winners are:
Best Poultry - United Steelworkers 8888 The People's Choice award went to first time participants United Steelworkers Local 888. Many thanks to our sponsors, judges, volunteers and committee members for a job well done! To see more, click here. City of Norfolk 's 5th Annual Employee Wellness Benefits and Safety Fair 
On May 17th, the City of Norfolk held its 5th Annual Employee Wellness Benefits and Safety Fair at the Virginia Zoo in Norfolk. Approximately 2,000 employees celebrated National Employee Health and Fitness Day by taking part in healthy activities, screenings and demonstrations. As an exhibitor, DIF distributed information on the Institutes and conducted blood sugar screenings on over 150 employees (as well as grocery produce), thanks to the help of SDI staffer Tamika Featherstone and EVMS medical masters student Anne Corbett. MEDICAL NEWS
More Intriguing News on INGAP, And This Time For Neuropathy Two major areas of research focus at the Strelitz Diabetes Institutes, islet regeneration and neuropathy, may now have found a common link and solution to two of the major problems facing people with diabetes; failure of the cells that make insulin and nerve damage, according to a new report published in the March issue of Drug Discovery Today In their report, McGill scientists Joseph Tam, PhD, Dusica Maysinger, PhD and Jack Diamond, PhD of McMaster University, state INGAP has the ability to treat the underlying cause of diabetes by inducing new beta cell formation as well as correcting sensory loss by regenerating nerves. Their findings on the potential application of INGAP for the treatment of peripheral neuropathy are stirring a great deal of interest among the medical community and those struggling with this common debilitating complication of diabetes. In the article they write, "The most promising strategies for the successful treatment of diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) are likely to be those that aim to correct at least the most influential of the defects that cause DPN, and that can vary among individuals. The dual-action peptides, of which INGAP is one of three identified that have more than one target, have drawn attention because of the wide-ranging nature of their actions." Diabetic peripheral neuropathy has been especially difficult to treat because while it's wreaking havoc, it may be asymptomatic for a long time in almost half of all cases. The current approved treatments for the painful symptoms do not address the underlying nerve damage and at most just give some relief. In many cases, patients are not compliant with medical treatment requiring them to carefully maintain blood glucose levels. Physicians have long been looking for a treatment that would address the underlying loss of beta cell function and the cause of nerve damage. Many drugs on the market address neuropathic pain, but they often have undesirable side effects and have little effect on the progression of neuropathy. INGAP peptide has been of interest for some time because of its effects on regeneration of beta cells, thereby restoring blood glucose and other metabolic abnormalities towards normal. This report draws attention to another potential for INGAP, namely its ability to regenerate nerves that are damaged by the metabolic abnormalities in diabetes. The article states, "The potential of these peptides in the treatment of diabetic peripheral neuropathy is likely to prove especially effective when applied in combination with current anti-diabetic therapies or in optimized delivery systems." Besides INGAP's regenerative capacity on islets, it appears to have a number of effects through multiple targets on the peripheral nervous system. Dr. Tam's work demonstrated that when given INGAP, mice made diabetic with streptozotocin have improved sensory function and improved regulation of proteins that cause nerve regeneration. Tam believes that these proteins may help the nerves withstand the biological events that are causing neuropathy. He says, "The combined positive effects that INGAP causes on nerve damage and blood sugar could make INGAP particularly effective in treating people with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes." The Strelitz Diabetes Institutes is considered to be a leading center for the treatment of diabetic neuropathy and is at the forefront of clinical research into new treatments. Dr. Aaron I. Vinik, Director of Research, is very excited about the work done by Canadian scientists and clearly would like to see this finding confirmed by others and hopefully to have the possibility tested in humans. He comments, "Now animal studies on the peptide discovered for its action on beta cell regeneration by the Institutes and McGill University appears to have a similar effect on nerves in models of diabetic neuropathy in animals. If this can be translated into a beneficial effect in humans, we may have made an important discovery with one peptide in the Institutes' two major areas of endeavor." Scientists still need to study INGAP's mechanism of action and the specific tissues it targets. The basic science research for the INGAP receptor takes on double importance with both nerve and islet regeneration because it will affect the development of combination therapies for neuropathy. The article's authors conclude, "INGAP along with the other dual action peptides are very exciting because they are potentially effective at getting at the underlying cause(s) of neuropathy. When so many people have multiple issues causing neuropathy because it's been diagnosed so late, treatments that have multiple effects could be the best candidates for finally providing the first effective treatment." NUTRITION TOPICS
Healthy Snacks on the Run Phyllis Woodson, MS, RD, CDE, Clinical Dietitian Whether you have diabetes or not, what and how much you eat between meals can have a great impact on your caloric intake and weight gain. Some research by dietitians show that these extra foods can be equal in calories to an additional meal! We will give you some suggestions for low calorie, filling, and healthy snacks. If you do have diabetes, you need to be aware of how much carbohydrate you eat at one time since it is the carbohydrate that raises your blood glucose the most within one hour of eating. If you are exercising or are pregnant or breastfeeding, you may need extra snacks. Consult with your dietitian. For most persons with diabetes, especially type 2, it is recommended to snack as little as possible since extra food can cause weight gain. If you have type 1 diabetes (requiring insulin injections or the pump) or are a young person, you may need some snacks in order to prevent low blood glucose. Consult with your dietitian. If your triglycerides are elevated, your physician may recommend decreasing your fruit intake. First of all, make sure you are eating 3 regular meals a day, which may actually keep you from getting as hungry between meals. For example, a typical meal could include a starchy food, several vegetables, a lean meat/protein serving, milk, and a small serving of fruit (such as half a potato, cooked broccoli and salad, 3 oz grilled chicken, 1 c low fat milk, 1/2 c fruit). Breakfast could include a starch, lean meat/protein, milk, and fruit (1 slice whole wheat bread, an egg or 1 oz low fat ham or cheese or 2 T peanut butter, 1 c low fat milk and 1/2 c fruit) Fill up on moderate/small portions of healthy foods! Secondly, avoid waiting too long between meals. Studies have shown that we do best with 4-5 hours between breakfast and lunch and about 5-6 hours between lunch and supper. Waiting too long between meals can bring out the bear in your appetite causing you to eat whatever is available! Drink plenty of water throughout the day! Sit down and slow down when you eat! Exercise and keep busy. If you do desire something sweet or fatty, have a small amount of it on occasion. Eat raw veggies like tomatoes, cucumbers, celery, cauliflower, broccoli, carrots or squash. Slice the cucumbers with vinegar or add chopped celery and a few nuts to some sugar-free gelatin. Skip the high calorie dip and try plain yogurt + cottage cheese + small amount dry soup mix. Cottage cheese with onion, celery, small amount of fruit (you create) can be tasty. Consider the following choices, about 15 grams of carbohydrate each. If you are trying to lose weight, you may want to have less of the amounts suggested. If you have diabetes, check your blood glucose before the next meal to see the effect of the snack you chose. Enjoy! HEALTHY SNACK LIST -4-6 whole wheat crackers with small amount (<1 oz) low fat cheese or 1/4 c low fat cottage cheese Bon Appetit! Yours in good health, |
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