Breakthrough research by The Heart Research Institute has the capacity to dramatically improve the life expectancy and outcomes of the 1.7 million Australians with diabetes. Almost 50% of people with diabetes will die of heart disease or stroke as a result of their inability to make or repair blood vessels.

By identifying a critical link between high blood sugar levels and the damage it causes arteries, HRI researchers have been able to directly target and reverse the gene, which hinders blood vessel growth in people with diabetes.

“High glucose levels directly stimulate a gene called Thioredoxin Interacting Protein (TXNIP), causing vascular damage in people with diabetes,” HRI scientist, Dr Louise Dunn said. “By directly targeting this gene and preventing the stimulation caused by glucose, we were able to create a striking reversal of the highly damaging effects of hyperglycaemia and diabetes and increase the growth of blood vessels.”

Dr Dunn said: “These findings lead us to believe that we will eventually have a new class of drugs to treat diabetes by targeting TXNIP, which has the potential to prevent diabetic heart disease as well as increasing a diabetic’s capacity to recover and significantly improve their quality of life. Dr Dunn works with The Heart Research Institute’s Translational Research and Bioengineering Group headed by Cardiologist, Dr Martin Ng.