Representational image of a diabetes patient using digital device to measure sugar level in blood sample.
Scientists have created a groundbreaking type of insulin that adjusts to blood sugar levels in real-time, potentially transforming the treatment for millions of people with type 1 diabetes worldwide.
This “smart insulin” is designed to stay inactive in the body until it’s needed and then activate instantly to manage blood sugar. Researchers from the US, Australia, and China have developed this innovative insulin, which closely mimics the body’s natural response to changes in blood sugar levels.
“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,” said Rachel Connor, the director of research partnerships at JDRF UK, which is one of the entities behind this project.
Glucose-responsive insulins
Currently, people with type 1 diabetes need to inject synthetic insulin up to 10 times a day to stay alive. The constant ups and downs in blood sugar levels can lead to both short- and long-term health problems and can also take a toll on mental health.
Traditional insulins help stabilize blood sugar levels when injected but can’t manage future fluctuations, often requiring patients to inject more insulin within a few hours.
The new glucose-responsive insulins (GRIs) are different. They activate only when blood sugar levels rise too high, preventing hyperglycemia, and deactivate when levels fall too low, avoiding hypoglycemia. In the future, patients might only need to take insulin once a week, according to experts.
The Type 1 Diabetes Grand Challenge
The scientists developing smart insulins have received millions in grants to accelerate their work. This funding is provided by the Type 1 Diabetes Grand Challenge, a collaboration between Diabetes UK, JDRF, and the Steve Morgan Foundation, which is investing £50 million into advanced research to discover new treatments for type 1 diabetes.
Dr. Tim Heise, vice-chair of the scientific advisory panel for the Grand Challenge, believes that smart insulin could mark the beginning of a new era in the fight against diabetes.
He told The Guardian, “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.”
“Glucose-responsive – so-called smart – insulins are regarded as the holy grail of insulin as they would come as close to a cure for type 1 diabetes as any drug therapy could.”
The six projects under this initiative
Type 1 Diabetes Grand Challenge is funding six new research projects with over £2.7 million through the novel insulins challenge to revolutionize type 1 diabetes treatment. This important funding will speed up the development of insulins that better mimic a healthy pancreas, which could greatly improve the lives of those with type 1 diabetes.
Conducted at universities in the US, Australia, and China, this research aims to develop insulins that work faster and, more precisely, ease the management of type 1 diabetes and reduce long-term complications.
Four of these projects are working on glucose-responsive insulins (GRIs). These insulins only activate when blood glucose levels are too high, preventing hyperglycemia, and deactivate when levels drop too low, avoiding hypoglycemia.
Another project is developing a new type of insulin that acts ultrafast and short-acting. Even the fastest current insulins have a delay before they start working, which can lead to unsafe blood glucose levels. Faster insulins are also needed to improve insulin pumps and hybrid closed-loop systems that adjust insulin in real time based on blood glucose levels.
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The final project is focused on creating a protein that combines insulin with glucagon, another hormone. While insulin lowers blood glucose, glucagon increases it when levels are too low. Combining these hormones could help keep blood glucose levels more stable.
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Srishti Gupta Srishti studied English literature at the University of Delhi and has since then realized it's not her cup of tea. She has been an editor in every space and content type imaginable, from children's books to journal articles. She enjoys popular culture, reading contemporary fiction and nonfiction, crafts, and spending time with her cats. With a keen interest in science, Srishti is particularly drawn to beats covering medicine, sustainability, gene studies, and anything biology-related.