Novel Approach For Oral Delivery Of Insulin In Patients

A team of researchers at the Trabolsi Research Group, NYU Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) has developed a radical technology that can significantly transform and enhance the health of several patients suffering from diabetes. The scientists have effectively developed an oral system to deliver insulin in patients, which could not only replace the conventional insulin approach but also eradicate the long-term side effects of using syringes.

The researchers employed multiple layers of nanosheets to safely deliver insulin to the pancreas. The insulin-loaded nanosheets develop a special form of gastro-resistant nanoparticles that protects the insulin from degradation inside the stomach. Moreover, by ingesting this insulin-filled nanoparticles package, the sugar levels in diabetic patients return to a normal range within two hours. Farah Benyettou, a researcher at NYUAD, along with Ali Trabolsi, who is the program head, led the research. Their research was also published recently in the journal Chemical Science.

If we compare this innovative development with the other two FDA-approved technologies for the oral consumption of insulin, the recent technology studied and developed at NYUAD is more reliable. The nanosheet approach is biocompatible, specific, stable inside the patient's stomach, and can gradually release the particular amount of insulin in the blood based on the blood sugar levels in the patient’s body in real-time. This technique will revamp the diabetes treatment as currently, diabetes is one of the leading causes of death in people across the world and this method can significantly decline the fatality rate owing to diabetes.

Benyettou said that the technology surpasses all the barriers that hinder oral insulin delivery. She further stated that using this technology, the insulin can rapidly permeate inside the patient’s body when the blood sugar level gets elevated, and also the insulin supply gets interrupted after the blood sugar level falls within an appropriate range. This can significantly improve the health of globally residing diabetic patients