Insulin Pill May Free Millions From Daily Injections
Insulin Pill May Free Millions From Daily Injections
Aug. 26, 2001 -- A new way of delivering insulin by mouth may mean freedom from multiple daily injections for the millions of people with diabetes who depend on insulin to control their blood sugar.
Researchers from Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind. have developed a plastic with a gel-like consistency that protects insulin until it reaches the small intestine -- where the blood can absorb it. Other ways of taking oral insulin have failed because the insulin is destroyed along the way by harsh acids in the stomach, report researchers Aaron C. Foss, a graduate student in chemical engineering, and Nicholas A. Peppas, ScD, a professor of chemical and biomedical engineering. Foss and Peppas presented their findings Sunday at the annual meeting of the American Chemical Society in Chicago.
By taking very small particles or spheres of a plastic-like material and infusing them with insulin, the researchers are able to create granules that are then encased in a shell and swallowed like a pill, Foss tells WebMD. Once in the small intestine, the plastic swells and releases the insulin into the bloodstream. The plastic also intercepts calcium, which would normally keep the pores of the small intestine tightly shut. By doing so, the insulin can more easily slip into the bloodstream, Foss says.
In studies conducted in animals, 16% of insulin delivered with the new material made it into the bloodstream -- a major improvement over the 0.01% that has been previously reported with oral insulin. Foss says that if further testing confirms these findings, he will seek FDA approval to begin testing on people within the next three or four years.
Diabetes occurs when the body does not produce or properly use insulin. Insulin is a hormone that is needed to regulate sugar and other nutrients in the blood. Nearly 16 million Americans suffer from diabetes and one of every 10 of those takes insulin on a daily basis, according to the American Diabetes Association.
"This pill may one day take the place of daily insulin injections," Foss says. "There is great promise in the ability to deliver insulin orally, but dosages are still up in the air."
Insulin Pill May Free Millions From Daily Injections
Aug. 26, 2001 -- A new way of delivering insulin by mouth may mean freedom from multiple daily injections for the millions of people with diabetes who depend on insulin to control their blood sugar.
Researchers from Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind. have developed a plastic with a gel-like consistency that protects insulin until it reaches the small intestine -- where the blood can absorb it. Other ways of taking oral insulin have failed because the insulin is destroyed along the way by harsh acids in the stomach, report researchers Aaron C. Foss, a graduate student in chemical engineering, and Nicholas A. Peppas, ScD, a professor of chemical and biomedical engineering. Foss and Peppas presented their findings Sunday at the annual meeting of the American Chemical Society in Chicago.
By taking very small particles or spheres of a plastic-like material and infusing them with insulin, the researchers are able to create granules that are then encased in a shell and swallowed like a pill, Foss tells WebMD. Once in the small intestine, the plastic swells and releases the insulin into the bloodstream. The plastic also intercepts calcium, which would normally keep the pores of the small intestine tightly shut. By doing so, the insulin can more easily slip into the bloodstream, Foss says.
In studies conducted in animals, 16% of insulin delivered with the new material made it into the bloodstream -- a major improvement over the 0.01% that has been previously reported with oral insulin. Foss says that if further testing confirms these findings, he will seek FDA approval to begin testing on people within the next three or four years.
Diabetes occurs when the body does not produce or properly use insulin. Insulin is a hormone that is needed to regulate sugar and other nutrients in the blood. Nearly 16 million Americans suffer from diabetes and one of every 10 of those takes insulin on a daily basis, according to the American Diabetes Association.
"This pill may one day take the place of daily insulin injections," Foss says. "There is great promise in the ability to deliver insulin orally, but dosages are still up in the air."
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