Thoth Science Explains - Ep1 - Diabetes

Diabetes

What is it and what can we do about it?

At Thoth Science, we are working on tackling few of the most concerning chronic diseases faced by humanity. While there are a few ways to treat these diseases, it is still the most ideal to prevent them from the beginning.

In these short explainers, we aim to raise more awareness and provide accurate information about the diseases we are working to cure.

These posts by no means qualify as medical advice and serve only as reference material. If you have any concerns about your health, please consult with your medical provider.

What is Diabetes?

Diabetes can be broken down to multiple subtypes, of which the most well-known ones are type 1 (T1D) and type 2 diabetes (T2D) [source]. People with diabetes have a problem with their insulin production. As insulin regulates how much sugar is released into the bloodstream and how much is being broken down, this causes problems in maintaining glucose homeostasis [source] and leads to a series of complications such as constant fatigue, vision impairment, cardiovascular diseases and even death[source] in some cases.

What Causes Diabetes?

While we are still trying to understand the exact cause of T1D [source], there is evidence that the combination of the rise in obesity[source], loss of physical activity [source] and high consumption of refined carbohydrates [source] are major causes of T2D.

How Does Diabetes Affect the Life of People?

People with who are either pre-diabetic or diabetic have to pay close attention to their blood glucose level to act in time and avoid complications. For those in later stages or more severe forms of diabetes, medication is often not enough as their bodies cease to produce enough insulin. For this subset of patients, it is paramount to always have an easy access to external sources of insulin, most often in the form of injections, or via a pump attached to the stomach area.

The Worldwide Impact of Diabetes

According to the International Diabetes Federation [source], we can expect to see 700 million diabetes patients in the world by 2045. Just in 2019, Diabetes caused 4.2 million deaths and continues to put an immense strain on the healthcare system of countries across the globe. In proportion to Type 1, Type 2 Diabetes is the more prevalent [source] of the two major subtypes.

Are There Any Cures for Diabetes?

First, we have to differentiate between the two types of diabetes. For Type 1 diabetes, the origin of the disease is the lack of insulin producing beta cells in the pancreas [source]. To cure type 1 diabetics, scientists would need to prevent the body’s immune system to attack its own insulin producing cells.

For type 2 diabetics, there is no known cure for the disease at the moment [source]. However, we have seen how drastic impact from lifestyle changes and weight management [source] can help improve the life quality and symptoms of the patients living with T2D.

What is Thoth Science Doing to Solve the Rising Diabetes Problem?

Thoth Science’s diabetes organoid therapy is developed to aid those suffering from these conditions. It is exercised through implanting organoids that have islet functions, which can naturally control blood glucose and be replaced yearly. It has abundant supplies, which reduces the costs of overall treatment compared to the currently available treatments in the market. As a result, this treatment reduces measuring frequency, implantation risks, supply material cost, and side effects, which eventually leads to the improvement on the quality of lives of the patients. Our ultimate goal is to achieve functional cure of diabetes.