Indian scientists have achieved a potential advancement in insulin delivery for diabetes patients by creating a unique silk-based hydrogel system that replicates the pancreas. ()
Innovative System Mirroring Pancreatic Function Developed for Diabetes Management
“The goal was to create a system that mimics the function of the pancreas, an organ responsible for insulin production and release in the body, providing a continuous and controlled supply of insulin in response to elevated glucose levels in the body, to manage diabetes,” said Prof T. Govindaraju from the Bioorganic Chemistry Laboratory, New Chemistry Unit at JNCASR, Bengaluru (an autonomous institution under the Department of Science & Technology), in a statement.
The system “can provide a more efficient and responsive method for insulin release, and address the challenges faced by individuals with both Type 1 and advanced stage Type 2 diabetes”, he added.
The findings were published in ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces. Initial tests on mice showed the system to be effective in delivering controlled insulin and normalizing blood sugar levels. The researchers next hope to transition to human trials.
In addition to drug delivery, the silk-based system can also be used in wound healing, and tissue engineering for various medical conditions, the team said.
Reference:
- Glucose-Responsive Self-Regulated Injectable Silk Fibroin Hydrogel for Controlled Insulin Delivery – (https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsami.3c07060?ref=pdf)
Source-IANS
