A “Smart” Insulin Has Been Created That Reacts To Changes In Blood Sugar Levels In Real Time
Scientists have developed a new type of insulin that can automatically adjust to blood sugar levels in real time. This innovative drug could completely change the way millions of people with type 1 diabetes around the world are treated.
This insulin can reduce the frequency of injections to once a week
As reported by the portal Interesting Engineering, a group of researchers from the U.S., Australia and China, as part of the Type 1 Diabetes Grand Challenge project, has developed an insulin that mimics the body’s natural response to changes in glucose levels as closely as possible.
This “smart insulin” is designed to remain inactive in the body until it needs to be activated to control blood sugar levels.
Benefits of glucose-sensitive insulin
Today, people with type 1 diabetes have to inject synthetic insulin up to 10 times a day to maintain normal blood sugar levels. This creates significant health risks and negatively affects the mental state of patients.
The recently developed “glucose-sensitive insulin” should solve this problem. It is activated only when blood sugar levels become too high and deactivated when they fall. Eventually, patients will be able to make do with one injection a week.
Six research projects
The Type 1 Diabetes Grand Challenge initiative is funding six new research projects worth about US$3.5 million. Four of them focus on the development of glucose-sensitive insulins.
Another project is creating a new type of insulin that acts ultra-fast and short. Current types of insulin, even the fastest, have a delay in the onset of action, which can lead to unsafe fluctuations in blood sugar levels.
Finally, the sixth project aims to create a protein that combines insulin with glucagon, a hormone that raises glucose levels. Combining these hormones may help stabilize blood sugar levels for longer periods of time.
Source: A “Smart” Insulin Has Been Created That Reacts To Changes In Blood Sugar Levels In Real Time
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