Approximately half of people with type 1 or type 2 diabetes experience peripheral neuropathy-;weakness, numbness, and pain, primarily in the hands and feet.
Lower levels of serine and glycine were associated with a higher risk of neuropathic pain in mouse models of diabetes. Supplementing the diets of the mice with serine reduced symptoms of neuropathy. Researchers say the findings provide a new way in which to identify people at risk of diabetic neuropathy and a potential treatment option.
Working with mice, Salk Institute researchers, in collaboration with the University of California San Diego, have identified another factor contributing to diabetes-associated peripheral neuropathy: altered amino acid metabolism.
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