Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay have identified a previously unknown trigger of diabetes in collagen -- the most abundant protein in the human body -- that is also worsening the blood sugar condition. 

The study, published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, showed how collagen accelerates the clumping of hormones in the pancreas, finding a potential new drug target.

In Type 2 diabetes which affects more than 500 million people worldwide, either not enough insulin -- a hormone essential for regulating blood sugar levels -- is produced, or the body’s cells become less responsive to it, resulting in high blood sugar levels.