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The new glucose-responsive insulins (GRIs) only become active when there is a certain amount of sugar in the blood to prevent hyperglycaemia (high blood glucose). They become inactive again when levels drop below a certain point, avoiding hypoglycaemia (low blood glucose). In future, patients may only need insulin once a week, experts believe.

Scientists behind the smart insulins have been awarded millions of pounds in grants to fast-track their development. The funding comes from the Type 1 Diabetes Grand Challenge, a partnership between Diabetes UK, JDRF and the Steve Morgan Foundation. It is investing £50m into cutting-edge research to help find new treatments for type 1 diabetes.

Almost £3m has been awarded to six research projects that have developed different types of smart insulins. They include teams at Stanford University in the US, Monash University in Australia and Zhejiang University in China. The aim is to accelerate development and launch trials as soon as possible.

Each project aims to fine tune smart insulin to act faster and more precisely, relieving some or all of the huge burden of managing type 1 diabetes and reducing the risk of long-term complications.

This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.

The original was posted on /r/tech by /u/chrisdh79 on 2024-08-12 09:42:59+00:00.

Scientists have developed a “holy grail” insulin that responds to changing blood sugar levels in real-time and could revolutionise treatment for millions of people with type 1 diabetes worldwide.

Patients currently have to give themselves synthetic insulin up to 10 times a day in order to survive. Constant fluctuation between high and low blood sugar levels can result in short- and long-term physical health issues, and the struggle to keep levels stable can also affect their mental health.

Scientists have found a solution that experts say comes as close to a cure for type 1 diabetes as any drug therapy could: smart insulin that lies dormant in the body and only springs into action when needed. Researchers in the US, Australia and China have successfully designed novel insulins that mimic the body’s natural response to changing blood sugar levels and respond instantly in real time.

The new glucose-responsive insulins (GRIs) only become active when there is a certain amount of sugar in the blood to prevent hyperglycaemia (high blood glucose). They become inactive again when levels drop below a certain point, avoiding hypoglycaemia (low blood glucose). In future, patients may only need insulin once a week, experts believe.