A smart insulin patch can replace painful injections, which will improve the living standards of patients with diabetes.
Painful insulin injections are a thing of the past, thanks to researchers at the University of North Carolina and the State of North Carolina who have developed a "smart insulin patch" - a device that can detect high blood sugar and then release the required doses of insulin.
The patch itself looks like a thin square covered with needles, the size of each of which does not exceed the size of the eyelashes. These "microneedles" contain microscopic capsules for storing insulin and enzymes. The contents of the capsules are released into the bloodstream when glucose levels become too high.
Instead of inventing another completely artificial system, Gu and his colleagues decided to recreate the body's natural insulin generators, known as beta cells. These universal cells act as factories and warehouses that produce and store insulin in tiny bubbles called "vesicles." They also act as signaling centers: they monitor the rise in blood sugar and signal the release of insulin into the bloodstream.
To perform the same functions, scientists have created artificial bubbles based on two natural materials: hyaluronic acid and 2-nitroimidazole. The result is a bubble-like structure, each element of which is 100 times smaller than the thickness of a human hair. In each of the bubbles, the researchers placed insulin and enzymes specifically designed to monitor glucose.
A study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences shows that the patch can equalize glucose levels in mice with type 1 diabetes for nine hours. However, several more clinical studies are needed before offering the patch to patients.
We want to make a smart patch even smarter. The entire system can be customized to account for the diabetic's weight and sensitivity to insulin, said co-owner Jen Gu, Ph.D., a professor at the Joint State Department of Biomedical Engineering UNC / NC.
More than 387 million people worldwide suffer from diabetes, and their number is expected to rise to 592 million by 2035. Patients with type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes (with complications) try to keep their blood sugar under control with glucometers and frequent injections of insulin, which is both difficult and painful. Also, John Busse, MD, PhD, co-author of the PNAS article and director of the UNC Diabetes Care Center, warns of the risk of incorrect insulin dose calculations.
Injecting an incorrectly calculated dose of insulin can lead to significant complications, such as blindness, limb amputation, or worse, diabetic coma.
Researchers have tried to rule out the potential effects of the "human factor" by creating "closed loop systems" that directly connect devices that monitor blood sugar and prescribe insulin. However, these approaches involve mechanical sensors and pumps with catheters and a needle, which must be under the skin and replaced every few days.
We have developed a patch that works quickly, is easy to use, and is made from non-toxic, biocompatible materials, said Zhen Gu, a professor at the UNC / NC Joint State Department of Biomedical Engineering.
