Scientists have developed glucose-responsive "smart" insulins that become active only when blood sugar levels are high and deactivate when levels drop, potentially reducing the need for frequent insulin injections to just once a week. These insulins aim to mimic the body's natural response to changing blood sugar levels in real-time, aiming to stabilize levels more effectively than standard insulins.
Patients with type 1 diabetes currently need to give themselves synthetic insulin up to 10 times a day to survive, as constant fluctuations in blood sugar levels can lead to physical and mental health issues.
Researchers have been awarded millions of pounds in grants to develop different types of smart insulins, including a protein combining insulin with glucagon, with the aim of refining them to work faster and more accurately, potentially revolutionizing the treatment of type 1 diabetes.
Experts describe these game-changing insulins as the 'holy grail' of insulin treatment, offering a potential "cure" for type 1 diabetes by reducing long-term complications and daily challenges for diabetics.
This article was written in collaboration with Generative AI news company Alchemiq
Sources: The Guardian, Democratic Underground, Express, Daily Mail, NY Breaking, AOL.