Diabetes

Question 1

What is type 1 diabetes?

Answer 1

Insulin dependent or juvenile diabetes caused by an inability to produce sufficient insulin

Question 2

What is type 2 diabetes?

Answer 2

Non insulin dependent diabetes caused by a reduced responsiveness to insulin.

Question 3

When does type 1 diabetes develop?

Answer 3

Juvenile with quick onset

Question 4

What is hyperglycaemia?

Answer 4

High blood glucose concentration above the norm

Question 5

What is hypoglycaemia?

Answer 5

Low blood glucose concentration below the norm

Question 6

What is Diabetes Mellitus?

Answer 6

A disease where hlood glucose levels cannot be controlled effectively.

Question 7

What percentage of diabetics have type 1?

Answer 7

10%

Question 8

What percentage of diabetics have type 2?

Answer 8

90%

Question 9

What is the treatment for type 1?

Answer 9

Insulin injection

stem cell therapy

Question 10

What is the treatment for type 2?

Answer 10

Change in lifestyle

Insulin injections

Question 11

When does type 2 occur?

Answer 11

slow progressive disease. affecting people in adulthood

Question 12

What is a cause of type 1?

Answer 12

genetics

autoimmune disease that destoys beta cells

Question 13

What causes type 2?

Answer 13

lack of exercise
obesity
High carbohydrate/starch diet

Question 14

What is faulty in type 1?

Answer 14

no beta cells to produce insulin

potassium ion channels doesn’t wotk

Question 15

What is faulty in type 2?

Answer 15

Insulin receptors no longer respond to insulin being produced unsensitised

Question 16

Why is it cheaper to produce GM insulin?

Answer 16

Bacteria is easier to raise than pigs
All cells will make insulin. In pigs it is only produced in pancreas.
Process of collecting pig insulin is expensive.

Question 17

Why is there less chance of rejection to GM insulin?

Answer 17

Does not contain a foreign antigen

Question 18

Why is GM insulin faster acting and more effective?

Answer 18

It is an exact copy of human insulin.

Can insert any gene.

Question 19

Why are there less ethical reasons for the use of GM insulin?

Answer 19

Pigs don’t suffer/die

People have no objection to captivity of bacteria

Question 20

Why is there less risk of infection from UK insulin?

Answer 20

No transplant

Not extracted from pigs which carry viruses.

Question 21

Why is it likely that only type 1 diabetes could be treated using stem cells?

Answer 21

In type 2 diabetes all cells are affected. Not all cells can be replaced.

Question 22

What are the potential benefits of stem cell treatment over insulin injections and transplantations?

Answer 22

• Self antigens mean less risk of rejection
• Stem cells are a cure. Not management like injections.
• No problem with donor availability

Question 23

What are the risks of stem cell treatments for type 1 diabetes?

Answer 23

• Controlling the growth of cells can be hard.
• Can lead to tumors forming.
• Rejection can happen.
• Cells may differentiate into unwanted cells.
• Risk of infection.

Question 24

Treatments for type 1 diabetes?

Answer 24

Insulin Injection
Stem cell treatment
Pancreas Transplant