People with type 1 diabetes have to take manufactured insulin injections multiple times a day to maintain healthy hormone levels, as their bodies do not produce enough of it naturally. The timing of the injections must also correspond to eating and exercising, as any consumption or use of glucose needs to be managed.
Smart Insulin and Improving Quality of Life
Research into glucose-responsive insulin, or “smart insulin,” aims to improve the quality of life for those with type 1 diabetes by developing a form of insulin that requires fewer injections while providing blood glucose control over a longer period.
Enhanced Smart Insulin System
A team at Zhejiang University in China recently published a study documenting an enhanced smart insulin system in animal models – the current work does not involve any human testing. Their insulin was able to regulate blood glucose levels for a week in diabetic mice and minipigs after a single subcutaneous injection.
Smart Insulin and Polymer
The new smart insulin is based on a form of insulin modified with gluconic acid, which forms a complex with a polymer through strong chemical bonds and electrostatic attraction. When insulin is encapsulated in the polymer, its signaling function is blocked, allowing for a week’s worth of insulin to be administered via a single injection without the risk of overdose.
Better Regulation than Standard Insulin
The new smart insulin was tested in five mice and three minipigs – minipigs are often used as a more physiologically similar animal model to humans. One minipig received a slightly lower dose of smart insulin, while the other two received a higher dose. The minipig with the lower dose showed a better response: its blood glucose levels were tightly controlled and returned to a healthy value after meals.
Long-term Effects and Immune Non-responsiveness
Notably, these effects were long-lasting – better regulation was observable a week after treatment. Injecting the animals with the smart insulin did not lead to a significant immune response, which can be a common issue when introducing biological materials to animals or humans. The study does not break down the advantages and disadvantages.
Limitations and Future Research
Although long-term glucose regulation was observed in the studied mice and minipigs, only a few animals participated in the study – five mice and three minipigs. Of course, there is always a risk that results from animal studies do not exactly match clinical trials in humans. “We must accept that these are animal studies, so the transition to humans is always somewhat problematic,” according to Ben.
While it requires more research before this smart insulin system is tested on humans, this work is a promising step in the field.
Source: Nature Biomedical Engineering, 2023. DOI: 10.1038/s41551-023-01138-7
Ivan Paul is a freelance writer based in the UK, completing a PhD in cancer research. You can follow him on Twitter @ivan_paul_
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