Reducing high concentrations of a fatty molecule that is commonly found in people with diabetes and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease rapidly improves insulin sensitivity, Univeristy of Texas (UT) Southwestern Medical Center diabetes researchers have found. Insulin is a crucial hormone that helps the body convert sugar into energy, absorb nutrients, and reduce the storage of sugars as fat. Poor insulin sensitivity reduces the effectiveness of these processes and results in diabetes and fatty liver disease. UT Southwestern researchers showed that introducing an enzyme called ceramidase in diabetic mice returned their insulin sensitivity to normal. “Lowering ceramides (image) may also make people more insulin-sensitive,” said study senior author Dr. Philipp Scherer, Director of the Touchstone Center for Diabetes Research at UT Southwestern. “Our findings suggest a new means to potentially treat Type 2 diabetes and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.” Though no such therapy currently exists, Dr. Scherer said a drug form of the enzyme ceramidase likely could be developed. The findings were published online on July 16, 2015 in the journal Cell Metabolism. The article is titled “Targeted Induction of Ceramide Degradation Leads to Improved Systemic Metabolism and Reduced Hepatic Steatosis.” When more fatty acids are consumed than the body burns off, some excess fat is converted to ceramide. When too much ceramide builds up, the lipid interferes with insulin signaling, resulting in insulin resistance and possibly diabetes or nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. “It is a nasty lipid at times,” said Dr. Scherer, Professor of Internal Medicine and Cell Biology who holds the Gifford O. Touchstone, Jr. and Randolph G. Touchstone Distinguished Chair in Diabetes Research at UT Southwestern.Login Or Register To Read Full Story