A new study by Iowa City-based University of Iowa microbiologists suggests bacteria may contribute to causing one of the most prevalent diseases of the day: Type 2 diabetes.
A research team led by Patrick Schlievert, PhD, professor and department executive officer of microbiology at the UI Carver College of Medicine, exposed rabbits to a toxin produced by Staphylococcus aureus bacteria for prolonged periods of time.
They found the bacterial exposure caused the rabbits to develop the hallmark symptoms of Type 2 diabetes, including insulin resistance, glucose intolerance and systemic inflammation.
"We basically reproduced Type 2 diabetes in rabbits simply through chronic exposure to the staph superantigen," Dr. Schlievert said.
The study findings suggest that therapies aimed at eliminating staph bacteria or neutralizing the toxin could potentially prevent or treat Type 2 diabetes.
Many people with Type 2 diabetes are also obese and obesity can alter a person's microbiome, making them more likely to be colonized by staph bacteria and chronically exposed to the superantigens the bacteria are producing.
"I think we have a way to intercede here and alter the course of diabetes," said Dr. Schlievert says. "We are working on a vaccine against the superantigens, and we believe that this type of vaccine could prevent the development of Type 2 diabetes."
The UI team is also working on examining the efficacy of using a topical gel that kills staph bacteria on human skin to improve blood sugar levels in prediabetics.
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