Mouse study shows how a virus may trigger diabetes

NEW research conducted in mice has shown how coxsackievirus B type 4 — an enterovirus, a virus transmitted through the intestines may be able to trigger diabetes in people who have the virus.
A new study has shown a possible mechanism for triggering diabetes in people who have coxsackievirus B type 4 (CVB4), a type of enterovirus.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), diabetes is an ongoing health condition that affects how a person’s body transforms food into energy.
As a person consumes food and drinks, their blood sugar increases. Their pancreas then produces the hormone insulin, which enables cells to access this blood sugar.
However, a person with diabetes may not be able to either make good use of insulin (type 2 diabetes) or produce enough of it (type 1 diabetes).
Type 2 diabetes is by far the most common form of diabetes, accounting for approximately 90–95% of all cases of diabetes in the adult population.
The American Diabetes Association consider both types of diabetes to be caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors.
For type 1 diabetes, scientists believe that viruses are one aspect of these environmental factors.
OLDER MALES RECOVERING FROM COVID-19 MAY HAVE BEST PLASMA TO TREAT IT
A new study has found higher numbers of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in older males who required hospitalization for Covid-19.
Scientists have found that being hospitalized with Covid-19, as well as being male and of older age, increases the chances of a person having high plasma levels of antibodies that can protect against the disease.
This plasma, which is a component of blood, may help treat the disease in others.
As scientists continue to search for an effective vaccine for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, treatments that can reduce the risk of death are crucial for lowering the mortality rate associated with the disease.
However, to date, research has shown few treatments to be effective.
Furthermore, a major study by the World Health Organization (WHO) — currently available as a preprint — found that remdesivir, the most promising treatment for Covid-19, appears to make no significant difference to the mortality rate. One possible treatment that may be effective is antibody therapy through convalescent plasma infusion.