Scientists have developed glucose-responsive “smart” insulins that are activated only when blood sugar levels are high and deactivated when blood sugar levels fall, potentially reducing the need for frequent insulin injections to once a week. These insulins mimic the body's natural response to changes in blood sugar levels in real time and aim to stabilize blood sugar levels more effectively than standard insulin.
People with type 1 diabetes currently need to take synthetic insulin up to 10 times a day to survive, as constant fluctuations in blood sugar levels can cause physical and mental health problems.
Researchers have been given multi-million pound grants to develop different kinds of smart insulin, which contain a protein that combines insulin and glucagon, aiming to make them faster and more precise in their work and revolutionise the treatment of type 1 diabetes.
Experts have described these breakthrough insulins as the “holy grail” of insulin treatment, offering a potential “cure” for type 1 diabetes by reducing the long-term complications and daily burden for diabetic patients.
Sources: The Guardian, Democratic Underground, Express, Daily Mail, NY Breaking, AOL.