About
Type II diabetes (T2D) is a growing epidemic affecting over 300 million patients worldwide, resulting in 4 million deaths and a treatment cost of over US$24 billion annually. T2D is a disease characterized by uncontrolled blood sugar levels, resulting from impaired insulin sensitivity and/or impaired insulin secretion. While treatment of T2D symptoms exists, there is no cure to date. Unlike other T2D drugs that act on insulin-secreting β-cell ion channels (e.g. sulfonylureas) or trigger glucose-dependent insulin creation and secretion (e.g., GLP-1 receptor agonists), our solution is a first-in-class gene-therapy targeting Munc18b, a protein that increases endogenous (i.e. native) insulin secretion acutely and sustainably in pancreatic β-cells. A Munc18b-targeted therapy will benefit patients by improving diabetes management, reducing the frequency of insulin injections and the side effects associated with weight gain, drug toxicity and infection. A USPTO patent application was filed.