A coalition of experts at the University of Copenhagen and the biotech company Gubra have unveiled an insulin molecule capable of self-regulating blood sugar for patients with type 1 diabetes.
The study appeared in Chemistry – A European Journal.
The new findings could prove to be a major step towards ensuring that patients with diabetes receive the exact right amount of insulin.
The insulin molecule was tested on rodents first and demonstrated efficiency for detecting blood sugar is in the body, the regulation it needs, and the release of insulin into the body only to the right amounts needed.
Although the test on rodents was a success, based on the findings, their transition to begin tests on humans is expected to take years and perhaps years additional before it has the potential to become part of everyday life for patients with diabetes.
“We’ve tested the insulin molecule on rats and it has proven itself effective. The next step is to develop the molecule so that it works more rapidly and accurately,” co-author Knud Jensen stated in a news release of the insulin molecule.
“And finally, to test it in humans — a process that can take many years. But it is certainly worth pinning one’s hopes on.”
