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NewswireToday - /newswire/ -
Kannapolis, NC, United States, 2013/12/18 - JC Med, a start-up biotech company, launched operations at the NC Research Campus (NCRC) in Kannapolis, NC, just outside of Charlotte, to produce insulin resistance supplements and to develop a first-of-its-kind, in-home insulin resistance meter.
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Founder Wenhong Cao, MD, who is also a research associate professor in nutrition with the UNC Chapel Hill Nutrition Research Institute at the NCRC, has spent his career researching obesity and diabetes. With that knowledge, he has developed a dietary supplement to prevent insulin resistance that is initially being marketed in China through Shanghai Ideal Biotechnology, LLC. The profits from the supplements will fund the continued development of an in-home insulin resistance meter.
Insulin resistance or hyperglycemia is a condition where the body does not use the hormone insulin efficiently. As part of digestion, insulin is released from the pancreas to break down carbohydrates and fats in foods, and convert them to glucose. Insulin also assists cells in the absorption of glucose, which is an energy source. When the human body can no longer produce enough or absorb it efficiently, insulin resistance can result. For many, insulin resistance is a precursor to diabetes and a factor in the development of diseases like Alzheimer’s, fatty liver and other metabolic disorders.
“No one is treating insulin resistance,” Cao said. “Insulin resistance is evident up to 15 years before progressing to diabetes or any other disease. So there is a large window of time to make dietary changes, increase exercise or take supplements or some type of medication. By the time you have diabetes, the damage is done, and you can only manage it. There is no cure.”
About the NC Research Campus
The NC Research Campus is a 350-acre campus in Kannapolis, NC, just north of Charlotte, which is home to corporate, academic and healthcare partners focused on advancing science at the intersection of human health, agriculture and nutrition. Research and product development primarily focuses on breeding healthier fruits and vegetables, developing more effective functional food products and targeting new plant-based therapeutic and personalized approaches to the prevention and treatment of disease. The NCRC has a million square feet of lab and office space under management that includes five buildings and the research power of nine world-renowned universities and colleges in North Carolina. In addition to the university presence, the NCRC is home to General Mills, Sensory Spectrum, Monsanto, LabCorp, Dole Foods, Inc. and JC Med, LLC.
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