Diabetes sufferers could be free of jabs thanks to new tech which delivers insulin through capsules
Capsules could improve the lives of millions of Brits by delivering insulin into the bloodstream quickly and painlessly
MILLIONS of people could benefit from a new miracle pill which promises to improve the lives of diabetes sufferers across the UK.
Brits could soon be managing their blood sugar levels quickly and painlessly by taking insulin orally instead of injecting themselves thanks to new technology.
Experts from Niagra University in the US have created a capsule which travels through the stomach before breaking down and releasing insulin into the blood stream.
This new tech, called Cholestosome, has the potential to save Britain’s four million diabetes suffers from painful daily jabs to keep blood-sugar levels at bay.
It works by overcoming the biggest barrier to delivering insulin orally – stomach acid.
Normally the high levels of acid break down pills before they can reach the bloodstream where they’re needed. But Cholestosome works by delivering insulin in a casing made from naturally occurring lipid molecules, which normally helps build fats.
Once the lipids are assembled into spheres, they form neutral particles resistant to attack from stomach acids.
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Drugs can be loaded inside and the tiny packages can pass through the stomach without degrading.
They then pass through the intestines and into the bloodstream where they are taken in by cells and broken apart to release insulin.
Studies with rats showed that certain types of Cholestosomes loaded with insulin have high "bioavailability" - which means they travel into the bloodstream where the insulin needs to be.
Researcher leader Professor Mary McCourt said: "We have developed a new technology called a Cholestosome.
"A Cholestosome is a neutral, lipid-based particle that is capable of doing some very interesting things."
Researchers are due to present their findings at the national meeting of the American Chemical Society in Philadelphia before conducting more animal testing and potentially starting human trials.
Inhalable insulin was approved for use in the US in 2006, but despite positive reviews sales flopped and it was pulled from shelves.
What is diabetes?
Diabetes is a lifelong condition that causes a person's blood sugar level to become too high.
According to the NHS there are two main types of diabetes:
type 1 diabetes – where the body's immune system attacks and destroys the cells that produce insulin
type 2 diabetes – where the body doesn't produce enough insulin, or the body's cells don't react to insulin
Type 2 diabetes is far more common than type 1. In the UK, around 90% of all adults with diabetes have type 2.
People diagnosed with type 1 diabetes also require regular insulin injections for the rest of their life.
As type 2 diabetes is a progressive condition, medication may eventually be required, usually in the form of tablets.
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