Healthcare, Canada (Commonwealth Union) – Diabetes, a chronic metabolic disorder affecting millions of people worldwide, has long presented a formidable challenge to the medical community. However, a groundbreaking discovery in the early 20th century radically transformed the lives of those living with diabetes. The isolation and purification of insulin, a hormone that regulates blood sugar levels, revolutionized diabetes treatment, offering a lifeline to millions who previously faced a grim prognosis.
In the early 1920s, Dr. Frederick Banting, a young Canadian physician, and his medical student colleague, Charles Best, embarked on a daring quest to find a cure for diabetes. At the time, diabetes was a death sentence, as there was no effective treatment to manage the condition. Banting and Best’s groundbreaking research led to the isolation of insulin in 1921, marking a major milestone in diabetes treatment.
In January 11, 1922, the first human trial of insulin took place. Leonard Thompson, a 14-year-old boy with severe diabetes, was administered purified insulin. The treatment was a resounding success, significantly reducing his blood sugar levels and saving his life.
Diabetes prevalence is increasing, with 11.7 million Canadians affected by diabetes or pre-diabetes. At UBC, scientists have innovated a painless drug delivery system to aid individuals with diabetes in managing the condition and sustaining their health more effectively.
Researchers at the Li Lab have created oral insulin drops that, when administered under the tongue, are rapidly and efficiently absorbed by the body, offering a potential alternative to insulin injections.
These drops comprise a blend of insulin and a distinctive cell-penetrating peptide (CPP) developed by Dr. Shyh-Dar Li and his team.
“Insulin is a complicated molecule,” stated the lead researcher Dr. Li, who is a professor in the faculty of pharmaceutical sciences. “In pill form, it’s easily destroyed in the stomach. Insulin also needs to be rapidly available in the blood, but as a large molecule, it cannot get through cells easily on its own.” The peptide, derived from fish byproducts, makes a pathway for insulin to cross over as indicated in the study.
Pre-clinical trials indicated that insulin combined with the peptide efficiently enters the bloodstream, whereas without the peptide, it gets trapped in the mouth’s inner lining.
Dr. Jiamin Wu, a postdoctoral researcher at the Li Lab painted a picture as a guide that helps insulin navigate through a maze to reach the bloodstream swiftly. This guide discovers the optimal paths, facilitating insulin’s journey to its destination.
Recent publications in the Journal of Controlled Release describe two versions of this peptide. The UBC team is currently engaged in the process to license this technology to a commercial partner.
The study has a particular focus on ensuring medications reach their target as this is crucial in any sort of treatment. When a treatment does not reach its intended target its effectiveness can come into question.
In healthy individuals, the pancreas naturally produces insulin to manage glucose levels after eating. People with diabetes cannot produce enough insulin and need an external supply.
Researchers of the study pointed out that unregulated glucose levels can be highly dangerous, so diabetes patients must monitor their glucose and take insulin to reduce it when it is required. Although injections are the fastest way to deliver insulin into the bloodstream, patients often require at least three to four injections daily, impacting their quality of life. Maintaining this regimen is difficult, and over time it can lead to serious complications such as damage to the eyes, kidneys, and nerves, potentially resulting in limb amputations.
“My lab has been working on needle-free insulin alternatives these past three years,” says Dr. Li. “We tried nasal sprays before landing on oral drops, which are easy and convenient. Hopefully, the oral drops open up a new possibility for diabetes patients – making it easier to take their medications and regulate their blood glucose to maintain their health in the long run.”
An inhalable insulin product, Exubera, was briefly available in 2006 but was later withdrawn. Dr. Li’s goal is to achieve quick, painless delivery of insulin minus the significant side effects. The innovative needle-free technology is anticipated to decrease the risk of cross-contamination, needle pricks, accidental infections, as well as unsafe disposal of contaminated needles.
Facing injections is often dreaded for diabetes patients and possible alternatives are likely to be a welcome change for diabetes patients.
