`Smart` insulin dose to treat type 1 diabetes

2024-01-03 2024-01-03T10:44:31Z

Weather of Arabia - A scientific team consisting of chemists, pharmacists, and experts in the field of polymers from the United States and China created a “smart” dose of insulin used to treat diabetics. After successfully passing tests on mice and pigs, the dose showed the ability to control blood sugar levels for periods of up to A week after taking it.

Type 1 diabetes is considered the result of a deficiency in the pancreas secreting sufficient amounts of insulin into the blood. Its treatment requires following a specific diet and receiving regular doses of insulin. Many diabetics inject themselves with insulin daily, but they face problems due to skin hardening as a result of repeated injections.

According to the study published in the journal “Natural Biomedical Engineering,” the research team from Zhejiang University in China and the University of North Carolina in America created an insulin dose that interacts with certain elements within the human body, which helps maintain insulin levels in the blood at the required level for a long period.

The research team explained that the new dose contains acids and chemical additives that interact with chemicals in the blood, enabling it to retain insulin inside a natural capsule of polymers. Insulin is secreted naturally depending on the amount of glucose in the blood. The results show that after receiving the smart dose, Insulin is secreted automatically into the blood when needed, for example after eating.

The discovery of a smart insulin dose...a promising hope for treating type 1 diabetes

The discovery made on insulin smart dose is a promising sign towards treating type 1 diabetes, according to the researchers. They indicated, according to a report on the Medical Express website, which specializes in medical research, that they will continue to test this smart dose on laboratory animals, while pledging to expand the scope of the experiments to humans if positive results continue.

Type 1 diabetes, formerly known as juvenile diabetes or insulin-dependent diabetes, is a chronic condition in which the pancreas secretes too little insulin. Insulin is a hormone the body uses to allow sugar (glucose) to enter cells to produce energy.

Various factors, including genetic characteristics and some viruses, can cause an individual to develop type 1 diabetes, and although the disease usually appears in childhood or adolescence, it may also affect adults, and although much research has been conducted, no research has been done. Finding a definitive treatment for type 1 diabetes. Treatment currently focuses on controlling blood sugar levels using insulin, following a suitable diet, and a healthy lifestyle to avoid complications.

Symptoms of type 1 diabetes in children appear suddenly and include the following:

Feeling unusually thirsty.
Increased urination.
Bed-wetting in children who did not previously suffer from this habit.
Feeling very hungry.
Weight loss.
Mood changes, such as irritability and anger.
Feeling tired and weak.
Blurred vision.

Unexpected onset of type 1 diabetes in children

The exact cause of type 1 diabetes is not known. The body's immune system, which naturally fights harmful viruses and bacteria, usually destroys insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. Genetic characteristics, exposure to viruses, and environmental factors are examples of other possible causes.

When a large number of insulin cells are destroyed, the body's secretion of insulin decreases, or stops completely. The pancreas, which is located behind the stomach, releases insulin into the bloodstream, allowing sugar to enter the cells, lowering the blood sugar level, and in the case of type 1 diabetes. There is no insulin to allow glucose to enter the cells, which leads to the accumulation of sugar in the blood, and can cause serious complications.

A family history of diabetes is a factor that increases the risk of developing it, and genetic characteristics also increase this risk. Type 1 diabetes can appear at any age, but two clear peak periods are between 4 and 7 years , and between 10 and 14 years .

Complications of type 1 diabetes affect important organs in the body, such as the heart, blood vessels, nerves, eyes, and kidneys.

Therefore, it is urged to maintain normal blood sugar levels to avoid serious health problems. There is no known way to prevent the disease, but researchers are working to explore ways for prevention or early intervention.