Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-09-16
Radioactive Iodine
DiscIoses Possible
Cause Of Diabetes
BY Thomas R. Henry
Seienes Editor Of The Stor

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BY Thomas R. Henry
Science Editor Of The sfor
NEW YORK, Sept. 16.-A
chemical produced in the liver
inactivates insulin, the hormone
necessary for the metabolism of
sugar, and may be the hitherto
unknown basic cause of diabetes.
Determination of this action
by insulinase, an engine, was
announced to the American /
Chemical Society's meeting here
today by DR.. Arthur I. Mirsky /
of the University of Pittsburgh. |
An engine is a chemical which /
promotes certain bodily reac-
tions.
A certain amount of insulinase |
is produced by the normal liver.
It apparently is one of the things |
necessary for a proper chemical
balance of the process of living.
But if something, as yet un-
known, increased the amount,
too much insulin would be mac
tivated and the victim might be
thrown into the condition of
classical diabetes.
"Atomic Medicine" /
The discovery, DR.. Mirsky said,
was made by use of insulin
tagged with radioactive iodine,
thus constituting the latest tri-
umph of atomic medicine"
Diabetes, which occurs in APP
proximately 1.6 million Ameri-
cans, is a disease in which the
body is unable to burn normal
amounts of sugar. Too much
sugar appears in the blood. In
the normal individual insulin
presumably is Secreted in pre-
cisely the right amounts. Dia-
betics can get temporary relief
by administration of inSulin and
often are trained to give them
selves injections of the life
saving hormone.
Actually, DIR. Mirsky said. in
sulin production rarely falls short
of the normal requirements and
diabetes usually results when, due
to reasons still unknown, there
is an increased need. 1t is known
that excessive amounts OF corfu
some and ACTH sometimes make
more insulin necessary, but the
SYMPTOMS are not precisely
parallel to diabetes and probably
represent different condition.
= TT is generally acknowledged
that insulin is destroyed rapidly
in the intact organism" DR., MIL
sky said. THAT this destruction
may be due to some factor IN the
tissues was revealed in the 90.
servation that the incubation OF
insulin with slices and extracts
of liver resulted in destruction OF
the biological activity OF insulin."
A New Antibiotic.
A new antibiotic-a drug pro-
duced by mould fermentation OF
the general type of penicill!n and
streptomycin-which has shown
uroraising effects against cancer
was described before the soclety
yesterday by chemists OF the
American Cyanamid Co.
This drug also has potent ac-
ton against African sleeping
sickness, one of the worlds great
disease problems, and somewhat
less potency against the more
resistant Chagra's disease OF the
American tropics.
It has a mild bacteriostatic
effect, by no means so pro-
nounced as that of penicillin and
several other antibioticS, against
diseases caused by bacteria.
Old Indian Mound.
This drug is Puromycin. OBJ
tanned from a mould recently
found in soil taken from an
ancient Indian mound in Wis
consin.
THE chemists reported the
drug is In a highly experimental
stage. Years may elapse before
it is released to the medical
profession and, if present hopes
prove delusive, it may never be
released.
Primary interest is centered in
its action against cancer. 1t has
completely arrested the growth
of one type of breast cancer in
mice. This does not mean, it was
stressed, that the drug neces-
sarily ever will be of value in
human cancer. The one case of
human cancer in which it was
used experimentally was not I'M
proved. u
Drug Is Poisonous.
It is quite poisonous. Much
research will be necessary be-
fore many chances can be taken
with it. The significance, it was
stressed is IN the vistas it opens.
Puromycin is of fairly simple
chemical composition. It's MOLE
cule can be altered to almost any
extent the chemist desires. 1t
apparently acts as an antimeta-
bolite-replacing one of the
amino acids necessary for the
Survival of cancer cells of the
particular type of mouse cancer
against which it has been dra-
matically effective. The way.
ahead lies in altering its molecule
to strike other cancer types. Be-
cause of this possibility it is con-
sidered one of the most signifi-
cant advances yet made in this
field.
OF more immediate practical
value is its action against sleep
ing sickness. This disease has
made large areas Ct Africa i'm
possible for general farming. One
British drug is effective against
it, but this is highly toxic and
the sleeping sickness germ, a
form of protocol, soon developed
resistance to its effects. Appar-
emily no such resistance is de-
veloped to Puromycin.
The report was presented by