From Japan: Clinical Efficacy of Non-Drug Treatment for Type 2 Diabetes is Proven—Offers Hope for Diabetic Treatment Free of Drug or Combination Therapy
A clinical study showed that a new device is effective in preventing and treating diabetes. Especially noteworthy is that the device was effective with patients who had been taking diabetes drugs but seeing little benefit. It can also be used for overweight or elderly patients who are unable to follow an exercise regimen.The device uses physical stimulation in the form of concurrent heat and mild electrical currents, and was optimized during basic research much as a drug in development would be. The device is distinct in that the working mechanism has been demonstrated at the molecular level.
Assistant Professor Tatsuya Kondo, Professor Eiichi Araki, et al. of the Department of Metabolic Medicine, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University have proven the clinical efficacy of the Japan-made medical device on subjects with metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes. The device was co-developed with Professor Hirofumi Kai, Department of Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kumamoto University. Pharmaceutical applications and marketing are expected in the future.
Development is being furthered in close cooperation with Tsuchiya Rubber Co. Ltd. (a small/medium-sized company in Kumamoto) and domestic medical device manufacturers. The project is also supported by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) as a Medical Device Incubation Project (2012 to 2014).
This study was accepted and published in the Online Edition of EBioMedicine on November 11, 2014. With Cell Press and The Lancet editorial influence, EBioMedicine is a new journal that publishes translational research results.
Dr. Phillip L. Hooper, an internationally respected authority on hyperthermia, provided his comments on the article on the same website. (DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2014.11.006
URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352396414000309
[Contact info for inquiries about this research]
Department of Metabolic Medicine, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University
Assistant Professor Tatsuya Kondo
Professor Eiichi Araki
Department of Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kumamoto University
Professor Hirofumi Kai
Tel: +81-96-373-5169, Fax: +81-96-366-8397 (Kondo, Araki)
Tel: +81-96-371-4405, Fax: +81-96-371-4405 (Kai)
Email: t-kondo※gpo.kumamoto-u.ac.jp (Kondo)
earaki※gpo.kumamoto-u.ac.jp (Araki)
hirokai※gpo.kumamoto-u.ac.jp (Kai)
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