加拿大基因治疗基金会日前表示，该国研究人员最近发现的一种罕见的基因变异可能会减轻某些Ⅰ型糖尿病患儿注射胰岛素的痛苦。

    据合众社11月3日报道，加拿大麦吉尔大学内分泌学家康斯坦丁·波利赫罗纳科斯博士的初步研究结果显示，对于那些因一种罕见的基因变异而患糖尿病的儿童，可以用口服药物进行治疗，而不是让他们接受痛苦的胰岛素注射。另外，研究还显示，口服药物治疗允许这些患病儿童产生出自己的胰岛素，这样能够几近完美地控制血糖，而注射胰岛素是不可能达到这种效果的。

    目前正在从事青少年糖尿病基因基础研究的波利赫罗纳科斯博士表示：“糖尿病是最为常见的儿童慢性病之一，我们的研究为某些患者提供了以一种更正常的方式生活的机会，即通过服用药物而非注射胰岛素。”加拿大基因治疗基金会为此还授予波利赫罗纳科斯博士6.5万美元的研究基金，这笔基金是该基金会通过举行活动募捐而来的，专门用于基因疾病的研究工作。

    报道说，Ⅰ型糖尿病即胰岛素依赖型糖尿病，主要见于儿童或35岁以下的青年成人，在北美和欧洲国家比较常见。Ⅰ型糖尿病患者的胰腺不能产生胰岛素，所以需要每天注射胰岛素以维持生命。

    The Canadian Gene Cure Foundation says the discovery of a rare gene mutation might spare certain type 1 diabetic children painful insulin injections.

    The foundation has awarded a $65,000 grant to McGill University endocrinologist Dr. Constantin Polychronakos, who is studying the genetic basis of juvenile diabetes.

    Polychronakos' initial research indicates children whose diabetes is the result of a rare genetic mutation can be treated with oral medication, rather than painful insulin injections. In addition, his research indicates the oral medication allows the children to produce their own insulin, which assures near-perfect control of their blood sugar, a goal never achieved with insulin injections.

    The grant was made possible by money raised through the foundation's annual "Jeans for Genes Day," a national Canadian campaign that raises funds to support research involving genetic diseases such as cystic fibrosis, progeria, juvenile diabetes, diabetes, muscular dystrophy, Tay-Sachs disease and epilepsy.

    "Diabetes is one of the most common chronic diseases that afflict children," said Polychronakos. "Our research provides an opportunity for some diabetics to live a more normal life ... (by being) able to take a pill rather than injections. This could be the next best thing to curing their diabetes."