Prof Zhen Gu and his team at the Jinhua Institute of Zhejiang University in China are designing novel insulins that respond immediately to rising blood glucose levels. In this project they will test a new kind of insulin that can be used either daily or weekly. Once injected, it forms a reservoir of insulin under the skin that is released in response to increasing blood glucose levels. 

Scientists are making strides in developing novel insulins that respond more quickly to rising in blood glucose levels without the need for close glucose monitoring. These glucose-responsive insulins mimic how the insulin-making beta cells work in people without diabetes. 

A new type of insulin

Prof Gu and his team are using a type of insulin called insulin/polymer complex as the starting point to develop a new glucose-responsive insulin. Prof Gu’s team has developed a method to combine insulin and polymer molecules.

Through experiments in cells and in mice with diabetes, the researchers have shown that the insulin/polymer molecule releases insulin when exposed to glucose and lowers glucose levels in the blood. By adding a safe glucose-sensing molecule to the insulin/polymer. Prof Gu’s team aims to create a novel insulin that will maintain blood glucose levels without causing hypos.

What will Prof Gu do in this project?

Prof Gu and his team will now improve their glucose responsive insulin by ensuring that all its components work together in the most effective way by fine-tuning the amounts of each of them. They’ll then test the glucose-responsive insulin to make sure it releases insulin correctly from the reservoir, especially when blood glucose levels are high. The team will also investigate how well the novel insulin can control glucose levels in cells and in animals with diabetes. 

By the end of the project, the researchers aim to have developed a high-quality glucose-responsive insulin that can be mass-produced in a cost-effective way. This will bring this novel insulin a step closer to clinical trials in people with type 1 diabetes. 

How will this research help people with type 1 diabetes?

The goal of this research is to create a novel insulin that effectively regulates blood glucose levels without causing them to drop too low. By speeding up insulin release from the reservoir after eating and slowing down when blood glucose falls below a safe point, this novel insulin could help people with type 1 diabetes to have steadier blood glucose levels, and lower anxiety around hypos. 

The researchers will also design the new insulin to be used less frequently than current insulins, reducing the time people with type 1 have to spend managing their condition. 

Prof Zhen Gu said:

“The clinical translation of this long-acting smart insulin will significantly enhance health and quality of life of people with type 1 diabetes.” He hopes that this type of insulin will one day be able to reduce the need for multiple daily insulin injections and limit the highs and lows in blood glucose that people living with type 1 diabetes experience.”