An Auckland University discovery that a single mechanism causes both types of diabetes may lead to new treatments.

A breakthrough in diabetes research by Auckland University scientists may lead to new treatments.

Scientists found a single molecular mechanism they believe triggers both forms of the disease.

This had previously been suspected but not proved.

In both type-1 and type-2 diabetes tiny toxic clumps of the hormone amylin destroy beta-cells of the pancreas, which makes insulin, Professor Garth Cooper of the university's School of Biological Sciences says.

"We are confident this discovery can be used to make new classes of anti-diabetic medicines and hope to have potential medicines ready for entry into clinical trials within the next two years," Prof Cooper said.

"We aim to treat patients with both forms of the disease with the objective being to stop the death of the insulin-producing cells and the longer-term goal of increasing these cells."

In people with diabetes, sugar levels in the blood rise, causing damage to organs such as the heart, kidneys, eyes and nerves.

People with type-1 juvenile onset diabetes, require insulin for survival. Type-2, an increasing global health problem, is the more common form.

According to the International Diabetes Federation, the number of people contracting diabetes is expected to reach 592 million by 2035.

The research has been published in the Journal of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology.

Copyright AAP 2014