This article is about a new treatment that may actually cure diabetes. And something about weight control....
I found this on FB, but I also asked Google about it. I have added below the article what Google said. They agree, but the difference is that Google didn't say anything about Israel and the article didn't say anything about the US.
--Kim
A medical team at Hadassah Medical Center in Jerusalem Israel has successfully trialed a revolutionary new treatment for Type 2 diabetes that has produced results so dramatic that endocrinologists around the world are questioning whether the word cure is finally appropriate to use in the context of a disease that has been considered chronic and irreversible for the entirety of modern medicine's history. The treatment involves a single 60-minute endoscopic procedure called duodenal mucosal resurfacing, in which a catheter-based hydrothermal system is used to ablate and regenerate the nutrient-sensing cells lining the first section of the small intestine — a region called the duodenum that Israeli researchers have identified as playing a far more central role in the hormonal dysregulation driving Type 2 diabetes than was previously understood by the global medical community.
In the Hadassah trial involving 312 Israeli patients with poorly controlled Type 2 diabetes, 71 percent achieved full glycemic remission — defined as normal blood sugar levels without any diabetes medication — within six months of the single procedure, and 58 percent maintained that remission at the two-year follow-up assessment. The patients who responded most strongly were those in the earlier stages of the disease, but meaningful remission rates were also observed in patients who had lived with Type 2 diabetes for over a decade and had been managing the condition with multiple medications simultaneously. Israeli endocrinologists emphasized that the procedure addresses the root biological cause of insulin resistance in the gut rather than simply compensating for its downstream effects — an entirely different therapeutic logic from every existing diabetes treatment on the market.
Israel's Ministry of Health has approved the duodenal mucosal resurfacing procedure for expanded clinical use at five major medical centers across Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and Haifa, and the technology's developer has signed licensing agreements with hospital systems in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Singapore to begin international rollout of the procedure. Type 2 diabetes currently affects 537 million adults worldwide, generating healthcare costs estimated at over one trillion dollars annually and driving catastrophic rates of blindness, amputation, kidney failure, and cardiovascular death. If the Hadassah results replicate at scale internationally — and Israeli researchers are confident they will — the endoscopic procedure performed in Jerusalem could become the most consequential single medical intervention of the twenty-first century.
— The Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology, 2024
Google said:
Duodenal mucosal resurfacing (DMR) is a minimally invasive outpatient procedure that targets metabolic dysfunction in the small intestine to treat type 2 diabetes and obesity. By using hydrothermal energy to safely resurface the intestinal lining, the procedure promotes the growth of healthy new tissue and helps reset the body's natural metabolic hormones. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
How the Procedure Works
- Endoscope Insertion: A catheter-guided endoscope is routed down your throat and into the first section of the small intestine (the duodenum). [1, 2, 3, 4]
- Submucosal Lifting: Saline is injected to create a protective fluid barrier between the superficial lining and the muscle layer of the duodenum. [1, 2]
- Hydrothermal Ablation: A specialized catheter uses controlled thermal energy to remove (ablate) the dysfunctional surface lining over a 9 to 10 cm stretch of the intestine. [1, 2]
- Natural Regeneration: Over the following 4 to 12 weeks, the body naturally regenerates a healthy, functional mucosal lining.
Primary Medical Applications
- Type 2 Diabetes: By resetting duodenal hormone signaling, DMR aims to significantly improve glycemic control, lower HbA1c levels, and in some cases, help patients eliminate their need for daily insulin. [1, 2, 3]
- Metabolic & Fatty Liver Disease: Studies show the procedure can reduce liver fat and improve insulin sensitivity. [1, 2]
- Weight Management: Emerging clinical trials (such as the REMAIN-1 trial) are investigating DMR as a way to "metabolically reset" patients who have lost weight on GLP-1 medications, helping them prevent weight regain if they stop taking the drugs. [1]
Recovery and Safety
- Recovery Time: Because it is an endoscopic outpatient procedure, most patients can be discharged the same day or after a short overnight stay. Full mucosal regeneration takes about 12 weeks. [1, 2]
- Safety Profile: Clinical evidence—including safety studies like those published by Fractyl Health—has shown that side effects are generally mild and temporary. Potential risks are minimal but can include a temporary sore throat, abdominal bloating, or mild abdominal discomfort. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
Current Availability
DMR remains an investigational procedure and is primarily available in the United States through clinical trial programs or post-market registries in Europe. For more detailed academic or clinical research on how this technique works, you can review the National Institutes of Health's clinical overview on Endoscopic Duodenal Mucosal Resurfacing. [1, 2, 3]
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