CREATED CELLS PRODUCE INSULIN, BUT TIMING OFF

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, January 15, 1992                   TAG: 9201150254
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL                    PAGE: A-2   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE: WASHINGTON                                LENGTH: Short
CREATED CELLS PRODUCE INSULIN, BUT TIMING OFF
Scientists have produced cells in a test tube to mimic cells in the pancreas that produce insulin. While it may someday prove useful to diabetes patients, major kinks have to be ironed out first.
The technique, described today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, involves genetically altering cells taken from the pituitary gland so they can sense the body's sugar level and release insulin to regulate it.
The cells produced by the research team do that, but they don't do it at the right time, releasing the insulin when glucose levels in the body are relatively low, said Christopher Newgard, one of the researchers. Fine-tuning that will require more genetic engineering. - Associated Press

by Archana Subramaniam by CNB