Diabetes treatment from frogs

A specific type of South American frog could have a role to play in boosting insulin production amongst type 2 diabetic patients. A substance secreted from the skin of the paradoxical frog, pseudin-2, has now been found to aid in the release of insulin. The drug could become a novel treatment for diabetic patients.
This type of diabetes drug is already common, and is categorised as an incretin mimetic. Taking a natural substance and mimicking it in humans has significant potential in treating diabetes .
An international research team is concentrating on studying the substance. Experts at the University of Ulster in Northern Ireland, and the United Arab Emirate university are teaming up in study.
Dr Abdel-Wahab, a senior lecturer at the University of Ulster, was reported as commenting: “We are at an exciting stage with this research. We have tested a more potent synthetic version of the pseudin-2 peptide and have found that it has the potential for development into a compound for the treatment of Type 2 diabetes . Now we need to take this a step further and put our work into practice to help people suffering from this disease.”
The frog, which is bright green and pink, is found in Trinidad and the Amazon basin.