People with type 1 diabetes must constantly control their blood sugar with insulin. This is a Goldilocks situation: too much insulin risks hypoglycemia (hypoglycemia) and too little can lead to hyperglycemia (hyperglycemia). Researchers have developed a self-regulating nanoparticle-based insulin formulation that may go some way towards improving blood sugar control.
Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is an autoimmune disease in which the body’s immune system attacks the insulin-producing beta cells of the pancreas, producing little or no insulin. The exact cause of T1D is unknown, but genetics and some viruses are believed to be responsible.
Treatment of T1D requires continuous fast-acting insulin taken via intermittent manual injections or an insulin pump and regular monitoring of blood glucose levels to avoid hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia. Long-acting insulin can also be used to release insulin slowly and steadily.
The use of nanoparticles for drug and gene therapy has had a profound impact on how we treat disease. A team of Chinese researchers has now used a specific class of nanoparticles to create a self-regulating insulin release system.
Glucose-sensitive insulin delivery systems that use insulin “carriers” made of polymers containing the enzyme glucose oxidase are gaining popularity, but can pose problems. could be. Given these issues, researchers turned to another type of carrier: biocompatible lipid nanoparticles.
Biocompatible lipid nanoparticles are already widely used as drug carriers. Moreover, they have a uniform chemical structure. For this study, the researchers modified part of the surface of the nanoparticles so that they could carry many positive charges. Negatively charged insulin molecules bind electrostatically to lipid nanoparticles.
Researchers tested insulin formulations in diabetic mice and found that insulin was released slowly when blood sugar levels were normal. However, when blood glucose levels are high, the lipids in the nanoparticles form chemical bonds with glucose, reducing the positive charge on the nanoparticle surface and significantly accelerating insulin release.
After a glucose injection, blood glucose levels in insulin-treated diabetic mice decreased to normal at the same rate as healthy mice, and normal blood glucose levels were maintained for 6 hours.
Researchers hope that in the future, this type of glucose-responsive insulin formulation will be incorporated into wearable electronic devices to significantly improve glycemic control in people with type 1 diabetes.
The study was published in a journal Applied Chemistry.
Source: Zhejiang University via Wiley Online Library
