Treating Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus with Angiogenic Growth Factors

More than 38 million Americans have diabetes (about 1 in 10), and about 90% to 95% of them have type 2 diabetes, according to the CDC as of May 2025 , which would mean that there are about 35.2 million people in the U.S. with type 2 diabetes.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus, commonly referred to as type 2 diabetes, is a chronic condition in which the body either does not use insulin properly (insulin resistance) or does not produce enough insulin, resulting in persistently high levels of glucose (sugar) in the blood. Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas that helps move glucose from the bloodstream into the body’s cells, where it is used for energy.

In type 2 diabetes, the cells in muscles, fat, and the liver become less responsive to insulin, and over time, the pancreas may not be able to produce enough insulin to keep blood sugar levels normal. If left untreated or poorly managed, type 2 diabetes can lead to serious health problems, including: heart disease and stroke, kidney damage, nerve damage (neuropathy), eye damage (retinopathy), foot problems, sometimes leading to amputation and increased risk of infections.

In 2014, the Salk Institute conducted an animal study by injecting FGF-1 in the brains of rodents with type 2 diabetes . The rodents’ blood glucose levels dropped to a normal level. In 2017, another study was conducted in association with the Howard Hughes Medical Institute to explore why the rodent’s blood glucose levels were returned to normal.  In 2022, another study, conducted in collaboration with the Salk Institute and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), confirmed that FGF-1, in mouse models, could be a potential treatment for type 2 diabetes.

Zhittya’s scientist, Jack Jacobs, PhD, believes that FGF-1 helps the brain reset the glucose set point. Zhittya’s planned treatment for type 2 diabetes is to treat the patients with FGF-1 with a nasal inhaler for six days.  Zhittya expects to see a drop in the fasting glucose levels of these patients.

Research Papers and additional reading:

1. Endocrinization of FGF1 Produces a Neomorphic and Potent Insulin Sensitizer. Ronald M. Evans et.al. Nature. 2014 Jul 16;513(7518):436–439. doi: 10.1038/nature13540. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4184286/
2. FGF1 — A New Weapon to Control Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. Emanuel Gasser, Christopher P Moutos, Michael Downes, Ronald M Evans. Nat Rev Endocrinol. 2017 Jun 30;13(10):599–609. doi: 10.1038/nrendo.2017.78. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5839646/#R41
3. FGF1 and Insulin Control Lipolysis by Convergent Pathways. Ronald M. Evans et.al. Cell Metabolism. Voulme 34, Isue 1. P171-183. E6, January 4, 2022. https://www.cell.com/cell-metabolism/fulltext/S1550-4131(21)00623-9
4. Salk Researchers Find a New Route for Regulating Blood Sugar Levels Independent of Insulin - New Molecular Pathway Controls Blood Glucose, Circumventing Insulin Resistance. Salk Institute Press Release. January 4, 2022. https://www.salk.edu/news-release/salk-researchers-find-a-new-route-for-regulating-blood-sugar-levels-independent-of-insulin/
5. The Hypothalamic Arcuate Nucleus–Median Eminence is a Target for Sustained Diabetes Remission induced by FGF1. Brown JM, Scarlett JM, Schwartz MW et.al. 2019;68(7):1237-1249.Diabetes. https://diabetesjournals.org/diabetes/article/68/5/1054/39749/The-Hypothalamic-Arcuate-Nucleus-Median-Eminence
6. Central Injection of Fibroblast Growth Factor 1 Induces Sustained Remission of Diabetic Hyperglycemia in Rodents. Michael W. Schwartz et.al. Nat Med. 2016 May 23;22(7):800–806. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4938755/
7. Diabetes Basics – Diabetes by the Numbers. Centers for Disease Control (CDC). https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/about/index.html#