CHENNAI: Indo-Danish researchers have established a hypothetical link between certain gut micro-organisms to Type-2 diabetes Mellitus and are conducting a study to explore the subject.
For this study, over 450 samples each in India and Denmark were taken to see if there is any change in the alternation of these micro-organisms between the Indian and Danish population.
The three-year study by Dr Mohan Diabetes Research Foundation and the University of Copenhagen, Denmark, is jointly funded by the Danish Government and the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Government of India, said Dr Oluf Pedersen, professor of Molecular Metabolism and Metabolic Genetics, University of Copenhagen, one of the principal scientists in the study.
Dr V Mohan, founder of Madras Diabetes Research Foundation said, there are a variety of bacteria in our gut and the majority of them are good bacteria, which protect the body from conditions like obesity, diabetes and others. “So we are trying to find out, what types of good bacteria are present in our Indian population and in the Danish population and how these are linked to Type-2 diabetes,” he added.
He further said, these findings would help provide new treatment for diabetes. “If we find good bacteria controlling diabetes, new drugs can be used to treat the condition,” he added.
Oluf Pedersen was here to deliver a lecture on the 25th Dr Mohan’s Diabetes Specialities Centre Gold Medal Oration on “The bugs within and human health.”
The human gut is home to trillions of micro-organisms that have fundamental roles in many aspects of human biology, including immune function and metabolism. Reduced diversity of gut microorganisms in western populations compared to India presents the question which factors have driven gut micro-organisms to change, said Oluf Pedersen.
However, the DNA of micro-organisms’ gene sequence should be studied to further understand the role of gut microorganisms in Type-2 diabetes, the doctors added.
Professor S P Thyagarajan, dean of Research at Sri Ramachandra Medical College presented a gold medal to Dr Pedersen.