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New York, December 31, 2024 — A revolutionary discovery at Mount Sinai’s Icahn School of Medicine could change the course of diabetes treatment, offering hope to the 500 million people living with diabetes worldwide. Researchers have uncovered groundbreaking findings about harmine, a drug capable of regenerating pancreatic beta cells, potentially transforming the way diabetes is treated globally.
Diabetes, a chronic condition where the body is unable to produce sufficient insulin due to the loss of pancreatic beta cells, has long lacked scalable, effective treatments. While advancements have been made, no therapy has yet been developed to regenerate these vital cells in a way that is practical for widespread use. However, a team of researchers at Mount Sinai has made strides toward a cure, bringing hope to millions of patients who rely on insulin therapy to manage their condition.
The team’s work, recently published in Cell Reports Medicine, highlights the potential of harmine, a drug originally discovered in 2015. Harmine, a member of a class of drugs known as DYRK1A inhibitors, has been shown to regenerate human beta cells. Recent experiments have shown that harmine can increase beta cell mass by up to 300%, and when combined with GLP-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1RA) drugs like Ozempic, that number rises to an astounding 700%.
One of the most exciting aspects of this discovery is the realization that harmine may be able to induce the transformation of alpha cells — another type of pancreatic cell — into beta cells. Alpha cells are abundant in individuals with type 1 and type 2 diabetes, suggesting that they could serve as a source for new beta cells, providing a significant new avenue for treatment.
“This is an exciting finding that shows harmine-family drugs may be able to induce lineage conversion in human pancreatic islets,” said Dr. Esra Karakose, Assistant Professor of Medicine at Mount Sinai and the corresponding author of the study. “It may mean that people with all forms of diabetes have a large potential ‘reservoir’ for future beta cells, just waiting to be activated by drugs like harmine.”
The breakthrough is the culmination of more than 15 years of work by Mount Sinai researchers, including Dr. Andrew F. Stewart, Director of the Mount Sinai Diabetes, Obesity, and Metabolism Institute, and Dr. Peng Wang, Professor of Medicine. The initial discovery of harmine came after an extensive high-throughput drug screen designed to identify potential beta cell regeneration compounds.
As the team looks ahead, they are eager to bring these findings into human trials. “A simple pill, perhaps together with a GLP-1RA like semaglutide, is affordable and scalable to the millions of people with diabetes,” said Dr. Stewart. “This could provide a treatment that is not only effective but accessible, offering new hope to those battling this condition.”
The research has been supported by decades of funding from the National Institutes of Health, the National Institute of Diabetes Digestive and Kidney Disease, and organizations such as BreakthroughT1D, formerly JDRF. The findings also underscore the importance of collaboration across disciplines, with contributions from bioinformaticians, pharmacologists, and other experts.
While the road to approval and widespread use remains ahead, this discovery represents a significant milestone in the quest for a diabetes cure. With the potential to activate new beta cells in the pancreas, harmine could transform the lives of millions, offering a scalable, affordable solution to a global health crisis.
