This new insulin could mean fewer injections and better blood sugar control for diabetes patients.
The diabetes requires constant and unrelenting attention. For people with type 1 diabetesthat means multiple insulin injections per day, often timed precisely, but also with careful planning. Additionally, blood sugar can fluctuate unpredictably, triggered by anything from a missed meal to a bout of exercise.
For this reason, for millions of people with diabetes, managing the blood sugar it is a daily challenge. One wrong move – a little too much insulin or a missed dose – and the consequences can be disastrous.
A team of researchers has accomplished a huge step forward towards improving the lives of diabetes patients. They created what some call the “Holy Grail” in diabetes care: theinsulin that knows when to turn on and off.
Imagine insulin lying dormant in the body, only coming to life when it detects a rise in glucose levels. This “smart” insulin keeps blood sugar within a safe range, while preventing dangerous drops that can lead to seizures, loss of consciousness or even death.
The study
For decades, scientists have dreamed of an insulin that could take on the job of regulating blood sugar – and, ideally, automatically.
So far the options have been limited. Traditional insulin injections can effectively lower glucose, but once injected there is no going back. While too little insulin can be extremely dangerous for patients with type 1 diabetes, too much insulin can drive glucose to a dangerously low state known as hypoglycemia. To avoid this, patients often take moderate doses of insulin, which can result in poor long-term blood sugar control.
The new insulin developed by a team led by Rita Slaaby at Novo Nordisk in Denmark is markedly different. This insulin, called NNC2215is designed with a molecular “switch”. When glucose levels rise, insulin activates. When glucose levels drop, it turns off. In tests, NNC2215 has effectively lowered blood sugar – and without the crashes that often follow traditional insulin injections.
The development ofglucose sensitive insulin (GRI) has long been seen as the future of diabetes treatment. Unlike traditional insulin, which works in a rigid and fixed way, GRI adapts to the body’s needs in real time.
By adding a glucose-binding macrocycle and a glucoside to the insulin molecule, the research team created the glucose-dependent switch. In studies, researchers observed a 3.2-fold increase in insulin activity as glucose levels increased from 3 to 20 mM. Those treated with NNC2215 demonstrated a better control over blood sugar fluctuations without suffering dangerous drops in glucose levels.
This new approach could fundamentally change the way insulin is used. In the future, patients may only need to inject this smart insulin once a week, rather than multiple times a day.
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