Neuropathy – chronic pain, numbness and tingling in the hands and feet – is a challenging fact of life for many patients with Type 1 diabetes.
Thanks to a new National Institutes of Health grant, a University of Central Florida (UCF) College of Medicine scientist is investigating a new approach to treat neuropathy without relying on pain pills and anti-depressants.
Assistant Professor Dr. Jim Nichols is focused on overlooked mechanisms in the body that may show how the inability to make insulin has “downstream” consequences in other areas, such as how the brain processes and registers sensation in the limbs.
People affected by Type 1 diabetes don’t produce insulin, the hormone that regulates blood sugar, so patients must inject themselves with insulin to survive.
Before joining UCF, Dr. Nichols…