Preventing inflammation in fat tissue ‘could reverse type 2 diabetes’

Stopping inflammation occurring in obese fat tissue could be the key to preventing, or even reversing, type 2 diabetes, according to a new study.

Researchers from Melbourne's Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, along with scientists from the RIKEN Institute in Japan, discovered they could turn back the clock on the condition by dampening the inflammatory response in fat tissue.

The team found that specialised immune cells, called regulatory T cells (Tregs), played a pivotal role in controlling inflammation in fat tissue and maintaining insulin sensitivity.

Type 2 diabetes is linked to certain 'lifestyle' factors, such as being overweight or having high blood pressure. There are several long-term complications attached to the disease, including kidney, eye and heart disease.

Dr Ajith Vasanthakumar, from the research team, said that Tregs act as "guardians of the immune system", preventing the immune response from attacking the body's own tissues.

A key hormone, called interleukin-33 (IL-33), was discovered to be able to boost Tregs' numbers in fat tissue, halting the development of type 2 diabetes and in some cases reversing the onset.

"Treatments that mimic IL-33 could have the potential to reduce obesity-related inflammation and type 2 diabetes," Dr Vasanthakumar explained.