A groundbreaking scientific advancement could dramatically alter the lives of millions of people living with type 1 diabetes.
Researchers have developed a revolutionary "smart insulin" designed to mimic the body's natural insulin response, potentially eliminating the need for multiple daily injections.
How Smart Insulin Works: A Real-Time Response
Holy Grail “Smart Insulin” Offers New Hope for Type 1 Diabetes Patientsisens usa from Unsplash
The newly developed smart insulin is designed to remain inactive in the body until needed, then activate instantly to regulate blood sugar levels. This cutting-edge approach closely mimics the body's natural response to changes in glucose levels, offering a more precise and effective method of managing diabetes.
A group of scientists from three countries, particularly the US, Australia, and China collaborated to create this innovative treatment, aiming to alleviate the challenges faced by those living with type 1 diabetes.
Rachel Connor, the director of research partnerships at JDRF UK, one of the key organizations behind this project, emphasized the importance of this advancement.
"While insulin has been saving lives for over 100 years now, and previous research has driven important changes for people with type 1, it is still not good enough - managing glucose levels with insulin is really tough, and it's time for science to find ways to lift that burden," she said.
Currently, individuals with type 1 diabetes must inject synthetic insulin multiple times a day to manage their blood sugar levels.
According to Interesting Engineering, frequent injections, often up to 10 times daily, are necessary to prevent the dangerous fluctuations in glucose that can lead to severe health complications, both short- and long-term. However, traditional insulins, while life-saving, cannot adapt to the body's changing needs throughout the day, often requiring additional doses as blood sugar levels fluctuate.
Introducing Glucose-Responsive Insulins (GRIs)
The new glucose-responsive insulins (GRIs) offer a more dynamic solution. GRIs activate only when blood sugar levels rise too high, preventing hyperglycemia, and deactivate when levels fall too low, thus avoiding hypoglycemia.
Experts believe that in the future, patients may only need to take insulin once a week, a significant improvement over the current daily regimen.
The Type 1 Diabetes Grand Challenge
The development of smart insulin is part of a broader effort supported by the Type 1 Diabetes Grand Challenge, a collaboration between Diabetes UK, JDRF, and the Steve Morgan Foundation. This initiative is investing £50 million into advanced research aimed at discovering new treatments for type 1 diabetes. Millions of grants have been awarded to accelerate the progress of smart insulin and other innovative therapies.
Dr. Tim Heise, vice-chair of the scientific advisory panel for the Grand Challenge, sees this development as the dawn of a new era in diabetes treatment. He believes that smart insulin could dramatically improve the quality of life for those living with type 1 diabetes, reducing the constant monitoring and management that currently defines their daily lives.
"Even with the currently available modern insulins, people living with type 1 diabetes have to put lots of effort into managing their diabetes every day to find a good balance between acceptable glycemic control on the one hand and avoiding hypoglycemia on the other," Heise told The Guardian.
He added that the glucose-responsive "smart insulin" is the "holy grail" of insulin.
Six Cutting-Edge Projects Leading the Way
The Type 1 Diabetes Grand Challenge is funding six new research projects with over £2.7 million, all focused on revolutionizing insulin therapy. Four of these projects are dedicated to further refining glucose-responsive insulins, aiming to create treatments that more closely mimic the function of a healthy pancreas. This could significantly reduce the risk of complications and make diabetes management more straightforward.
Another project is working on developing an ultra-fast, short-acting insulin. The fastest insulins available today still have a delay before they take effect, which can lead to unsafe blood glucose levels. This new insulin aims to provide a quicker response, improving the efficiency of insulin pumps and hybrid closed-loop systems that adjust insulin doses in real time.
The final project under the Grand Challenge is exploring the potential of combining insulin with glucagon, another hormone that raises blood glucose levels when they fall too low. By balancing the effects of both hormones, this innovative approach could help maintain more stable blood glucose levels, offering a more comprehensive solution for diabetes management.
Speaking of insulin, Tech Times reported in February that rBIO, a biotech startup wants to create a cheaper insulin that more people can buy. The so-called "Biosimilar" can make a big difference when it comes to accessibility.
