Could a bacteria-killing protein lead to a new treatment for diabetes?

(Ottawa Hospital Research Institute) Why would a bacteria-killing protein be present in an area of the body that is not normally exposed to bacteria, like the pancreas? Researchers at The Ottawa Hospital and the University of Ottawa puzzled over this question for some time, until they eventually discovered that the protein in question was doing something entirely unexpected -- it was actually helping the pancreas regenerate and produce insulin. This ground-breaking discovery could lead to new tr...