Worldwide, approximately 425 million people have some form of the disease diabetes. Around 75 million of these need to add insulin to the body. Without the hormone insulin, the level of blood sugar in the body will become too high, and this can lead to serious consequences. Insulin is currently delivered via syringes or pumps. But researchers around the world are working hard to find better solutions. And now they may be closer than ever. – We have found a way to transport insulin to the correct cells in the liver, via the mouth. This means that the hormone does not go to other, unwanted places in the body. And it doesn’t cause hypoglycemia either. These are promising results for diabetics. That’s what Professor Peter McCourt says. He is employed at UiT – Norway’s Arctic University. The new findings are published in Nature Nanotechnology. Good reasons to do research It is neither beneficial for our blood sugar to be too low nor too high. A normal blood sugar in people who do not have diabetes is between 4 and 7–8 mmol/l. – When you inject insulin under the skin, the hormone goes to several places in the body – to muscles, fat tissue and liver. This leads, among other things, to the accumulation of fat in the muscles, which is not good. Injected insulin can also cause hypoglycaemia, where the blood sugar becomes too low, says McCourt to news. These are some of the reasons for the desire to find other solutions. Peter McCourt is a professor at UiT – Norway’s Arctic University. He believes the new findings are solid. Photo: Kjetil Rydland/UiT In the past, researchers have discovered that tiny silver particles can be used to transport medicines targeted to the liver via nanotechnology. In the new study, the researchers added insulin to these particles. They have also found a way to protect the hormone as it passes through our digestive system. When the medicine reaches the right cells, the insulin is released where it is needed. And the hormone is only released when needed, i.e. when blood sugar gets too high. And one of the most important things is that the results show that the method does not lead to too low blood sugar. This is diabetes type 1 Diabetes type 1 is a chronic disease in which the pancreas has stopped making, or makes too little insulin. The disease can lead to problems. In the worst case scenario, blindness, amputations, kidney failure, heart attacks and reduced lifespan. Until now, it has not been clear why someone gets this type of diabetes, but researchers at UiO have shown that viruses contribute to triggering the disease. When your pancreas stops making insulin, your blood sugar will rise out of control. It often causes these symptoms. thirst constant need to urinate weight loss lethargy If you experience these symptoms, see a doctor! If you get type 1 diabetes, you have to give your body insulin for the rest of your life. You do this with daily injections or with an insulin pump. Around 28,000 Norwegians have type 1 diabetes in Norway today. (Sources: SNL, UiO, Helsenorge.no, Diabetesforbundet) – A big step forward Trond Geir Jenssen is a senior physician at Oslo University Hospital and an employee of the Diabetesforbundet. He says that being able to take insulin as tablets has been a research topic for several decades. And that the most critical thing is when the insulin has to pass the acid in the stomach, where it is often destroyed. – If a method has now been found that shows that capsules with insulin can pass through the stomach undamaged, then dissolve in the intestine and regulate blood sugar in a predictable way, it will be a big step forward for patients who do not appreciate syringes . – These are studies that are interesting to follow, says the superintendent. Senior physician and professor Trond G. Jenssen. He has received an award for his work with, among other things, diabetes. Photo: Diabetes Association Picky baboons So far, the method has been tested on both mice and primates. Both experiments turned out to have the effect the researchers expected. Nicholas Hunt is the first author of the study, and he says that they had to take a special approach to test the insulin on baboons. – Then we needed to deliver it in a form that they would easily eat. The best solution was to incorporate oral insulin into a sugar-free chocolate. This was something the baboons liked, explains the researcher. But not all variants in the trial were to our liking. – We also made sugar-free jellies with insulin, but the baboons didn’t like them very much. Hunt believes that the chocolate form, given that the method works as they want in clinical trials, can also be given to children instead of a tablet in the future. Not reported previously In Norway, approximately 300,000 people have been diagnosed with diabetes. Cecilie Roksvåg is acting general secretary of the Diabetes Association. In an e-mail to news, she writes that they are always positive about research that aims to make everyday life easier for diabetics. – Such an alternative would naturally be positive for people who depend on daily insulin injections. But they know not to take victory for granted. Because there are many who have tried to find similar answers in the past. Without success. – Previous attempts with oral treatment of type 1 diabetes have not been successful, and it has proved very difficult to add insulin in this way, says Roksvåg. Cecilie Roksvåg in the Diabetes Association. Photo: Erik M. Sundt / Diabetes Association Already next year, the researchers will start testing the new method on humans. And since it works on baboons, Professor Peter McCourt believes there is a high probability that it will also work on people. – In my opinion, these results are solid, he says. The professor believes that if everything goes as it should, you can have a product within three years.
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Hope nanotechnology and oral insulin can replace injections and pumps – news Trøndelag – Local news, TV and radio
