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Injectable Nanoparticles Maintain Normal Blood-sugar Levels For Up To 10 Days

Posted by samzenpus on from the shooting-your-meds dept.

cylonlover writes "Aside from the inconvenience of injecting insulin multiple times a day, type 1 diabetics also face health risks if the dosage level isn't accurate. A new approach developed by U.S. researchers has the potential to overcome both of these problems. The method relies on a network of nanoscale particles that, once injected into the body, can maintain normal blood sugar levels for more than a week by releasing insulin when blood-sugar levels rise."

21 of 121 comments (clear)

  1. Preemptively Posting by ebno-10db · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Preemptively posting, because you know there's gonna be some idiot talking about fat people, and who doesn't understand the difference between type 1 and type 2 diabetes.

    1. Re:Preemptively Posting by Artifakt · · Score: 4, Insightful

      As a type 2 diabetic (male) who stands 6' 1" and weighs 180 lbs, I'm not sure you understand it either.

      --
      Who is John Cabal?
    2. Re:Preemptively Posting by ebno-10db · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Sorry, no offense. Yes, I'm aware that weight is far from the only factor affecting type 2 diabetes. I have several relatives w/ type 2 that were able to reduce their medication dependence by losing weight (they were overweight to begin with), though of course it doesn't cure it.

      I made my OP only because whenever health care is discussed (especially these days) there are sanctimonious assholes who attribute all health problems to people's poor habits, and think universal health care (if we ever get it) will pick their virtuous pockets to pay for other people's lack of virtue.

    3. Re:Preemptively Posting by reebmmm · · Score: 4, Informative

      As a T1D, I'll note that the GP didn't really comment on what it means to be a T2D. The characterization, however, is mostly true for an overwhelming majority of t2d, but completely false for t1d. T2D is controllable with diet and exercise alone in something like 80-90% of the T2D population. Weight and lifestyle factors make up an overwhelming percentage of the risk factors. And while there is clearly a genetic (usually associated with the likelihood that weight/lifestyle will give way to t2d, not that the genetics alone cause t2d) and medical condition component too, this is the clear minority.

    4. Re:Preemptively Posting by Lumpy · · Score: 4, Funny

      Type 3.14 is better as it comes with Pie....

      --
      Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
    5. Re:Preemptively Posting by HereIAmJH · · Score: 2

      I have several relatives w/ type 2 that were able to reduce their medication dependence by losing weight (they were overweight to begin with), though of course it doesn't cure it.

      Then there are those of us who managed a normal weight through diet and exercise until diagnosed Type-2 and put on medication.

      --
      Another day, another update to a Google android app.
    6. Re:Preemptively Posting by Merls+the+Sneaky · · Score: 3, Informative

      I developed type 2 after contracting pancreatitis due to complications associated with surgery to remove gall stones ( actually it was a second surgery to clear remnants of grit from the passage that ends at the bottom of the stomach). At the time I was 22 years old, 90 KG (about 198 pounds) and I am five foot nine. I am overwieght now but that is down to what diabetes has done to my metabolism. People shouldn't make assumptions about someones situation. Just because they are fat doesn't mean that's what cause their type 2 diabetes.

      Forgive me for the crudity of my medical terminology, I am not a medical student.

    7. Re:Preemptively Posting by mpe · · Score: 3, Interesting

      As a T1D, I'll note that the GP didn't really comment on what it means to be a T2D. The characterization, however, is mostly true for an overwhelming majority of t2d, but completely false for t1d. T2D is controllable with diet and exercise alone in something like 80-90% of the T2D population. Weight and lifestyle factors make up an overwhelming percentage of the risk factors. And while there is clearly a genetic (usually associated with the likelihood that weight/lifestyle will give way to t2d, not that the genetics alone cause t2d) and medical condition component too, this is the clear minority.

      Diabetes is more of a "syndrome" than a "disease". Even divided into groups of T1 (typically no insulin produced in the body), T2 (insulin resistant), T1.5 (LADA), MODY, T3 ("Double Diabetes") & "Gestational Diabetes".
      Insulin resistance tends to promote conversion of glucose into fat since it reduces the amount the body can use for anything else. Obesity also tends to increase insulin resistance. Leading to a positive feedback loop. To make matters worst hyperglycemia is toxic to cells, including those which produce insulin.
      An important factor is that in the last 30 or so years dietary advice has been to eat lots of carbohydrates. (In some cases up to 70%.) With the result that both obesity and T2 diabetes has dramatically increased. Something previously unheard of called "diabulimia" has appeared amongst T1 diabetics (mostly young women.) But the idea that "Low fat, low calorie, high carbohydrate" might not be the best (let alone the worst) kind of diet for humans tends to result in the classic "heritic treatment". The biggest irony being that humans (possibly all mammals) do not actually need to eat any carbohydrates in the first place. Are there many high carbohydrate (especially high starch) foods which are not the product of agriculture?

    8. Re:Preemptively Posting by Rich0 · · Score: 2

      Are there many high carbohydrate (especially high starch) foods which are not the product of agriculture?

      Well, fruit probably qualifies, though obviously an orange isn't as carb-rich as a potato. Potatoes might also be eaten by hunter-gatherers, but I'm not sure how often that happened. I'm not sure if there was much rice-consumption in pre-agriculture Asia.

      But yes, in general an evolutionary diet is likely fairly low in carbohydrate content compared to a modern diet.

      I'm using "agriculture" above in the sense of farming - planting lots of something and then digging it up. If you define "agriculture" as anything that comes out of the dirt then half the animals on the planet consume agricultural products. So, a caveman grabbing a pear off of a tree is hunter-gathering unless he planted the tree with the intent to have pears.

  2. Re:and if the GOP gets there way any one on this by Trepidity · · Score: 3, Informative

    Assuming the GOP doesn't manage to repeal Obamacare (which it doesn't seem likely they'll be able to), preexisting conditions will no longer be excludable starting 8 months from now.

    --
    10 PRINT CHR$(205.5+RND(1)); : GOTO 10
  3. Nice by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2

    That is some sweet science

  4. Tested in mice only! by astaines · · Score: 5, Informative

    This is a neat idea, but not yet remotely ready to try in people. There were quite significant local infammatory reactions (big lumps!) in some of the mice tested.
    There's probably ten years of work, and well north of $150 million dollars before the first human tests.
    Good luck!

    --
    -- Anthony Staines
    1. Re:Tested in mice only! by mpe · · Score: 2

      This is a neat idea, but not yet remotely ready to try in people. There were quite significant local infammatory reactions (big lumps!) in some of the mice tested. There's probably ten years of work, and well north of $150 million dollars before the first human tests.

      Would any sensible T1 want to try this if all it will do is get their blood glucose level below 200mg/dl? Which is still nowhere near normal (non diabetic) for either a mouse or a human.

  5. It's a complete game changer by Begemot · · Score: 5, Interesting

    It doesn't only solve the two mentioned problems, it would completely change the life style!
    - eat whenever you want to
    - stop eating when you feel you had enough, instead of eating "enough" for the insulin you took
    - no need to wake up in the night to check sugar level
    - exercise whenever you want to w/o worrying that your sugar level is high enough for the effort

    And that for responsible adults. Now think about diabetic kids and their parents - how much easier and comfortable their life could be... I'm not even mentioning the first period when you get diabetes - it takes months to learn balancing insulin doses, timing of injections, type and amount of food and physical exercises.

    Pregnant diabetic women could be much less worried too.

    This medicine can be a complete game changer. No less.

    1. Re:It's a complete game changer by ColdWetDog · · Score: 3, Insightful

      This medicine can be a complete game changer. No less.

      It's not a medicine. It's an early proof-of-concept in mice. If we managed to produce viable treatments from every mouse experiment ever done we'd all be six feet tall, weigh 150 pounds, run the mile in 4 minutes, have full heads of hair and have secondary sex characteristics that would cause members of the opposite sex (or several other odd combinations) to furiously engage in uninhibited sex.

      Reality isn't quite like a Hentai movie so you can just go back downstairs for a while.

      --
      Faster! Faster! Faster would be better!
    2. Re:It's a complete game changer by Major+Blud · · Score: 2

      I'm a Type 1 who's been wearing a pump for the past 6 years. I also have the relatively new real-time glucose monitoring attachment.

      I haven't read through the fine details of the article, but if the nanoparticles are somehow able to determine when to release insulin without intervention, that would be a definite benefit over the current pump technology. As it stands right now, the real-time monitoring only tells you that your blood-sugar levels are high, and requires manual intervention to make corrections. The sensors are also wildly inaccurate, and require that the user still check their blood-sugar on a regular basis for calibration. I quit using the sensors for that reason (since I still end up checking my blood sugar 6-10 times daily anyways, there's no point).

      FWIW, the pump is a huge improvement over old-school syringe injections. Having insulin delivered in small quantities throughout the day has improved my blood-sugar levels considerably. Using a pump has also made the entire process much more convenient; I don't need to cary syringes and insulin bottles with me when I go out to eat at a restaurant, and I'm less worried about blood sugar spikes while I'm sleeping.

      --
      If you post as Anonymous Coward, don't expect a reply.
  6. Re:and if the GOP gets there way any one on this by fuzzyfuzzyfungus · · Score: 2

    Even if they managed to, it'd probably come down to the demographics:

    All but the frothiest ideologues know that fucking with old people(whose voter turnout rates are consistently excellent, and who tend to be closer to where the GOP is most comfortable on a variety of issues) is a bad plan. Unless it's to further expand it(with some serious sweetheart deals for team pharma) as with Medicare Part D, 'keep your government hands off my medicare!' is standard procedure. Indeed, one of the major attack lines against Obama's implementation of Romneycare was that it was going to mess with your medicare and send granny off to the death panels.

  7. Both by Frankie70 · · Score: 2

    Type 1 cannot survive without insulin. However, a lot of type 2s also inject insulin. If you get the dosage right, injecting insulin is a much better alternative to oral Sulphonylureas for Type 2s. The main reason Sulphonylureas are preferred is because people don't like injecting stuff.

    1. Re:Both by Andy+Dodd · · Score: 4, Interesting

      This advancement, if it pans out (most things don't, sadly...), it'll be great for Type Is.

      Right now, it can be difficult to manage weight as a Type I - if you exercise, you must reduce your insulin dosage in advance. Otherwise, your blood sugar drops and you wind up eating to make up the calories.

      While a normal person (or even a Type 2) can say "I'm gonna go for a run/long walk now because I feel like it", a Type 1's thought process, if they actually want to get benefit is, "I'm definitely going to go for a run/long walk after this meal. I will reduce my insulin dosage for this meal to compensate." Don't run after the meal? Bloodsugar goes high. Run after the meal without planning it before the meal? Bloodsugar goes low and you eat.

      My initial reaction to the description of this was "oh, somewhat longer-acting Lantus", but it appears that it is actually load-reactive, sort of acting as an artificial pancreas. However, taking only one injection for a week is unlikely to work - the amount of insulin required for a week is far more than is practical for a single injection unless you're a little kid. That said, going down to 1-2 injections per day, and having that insulin react to load, is a MAJOR improvement for diabetics... Especially, as I said before, load-reactiveness.

      --
      retrorocket.o not found, launch anyway?
    2. Re:Both by overshoot · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Otherwise, your blood sugar drops and you wind up eating to make up the calories.

      If you're lucky. Sometimes someone gets unlucky and goes into insulin shock. If they're lucky, someone gets some sugar into them stat.

      Sometimes they're unlucky and a cop tries smacking them around for driving (or walking, or sitting) drunk. This doesn't end well.

      --
      Lacking <sarcasm> tags, /. substitutes moderation as "Troll."
  8. Re:and if the GOP gets there way any one on this by Bartles · · Score: 2

    Actually, things have been warped and twisted enough, that a bill can be considered to originate in the house, if the senate takes a random bill, strips all the language out of it and inserts new language without changing the title. As long as a bill has been passed by the house with that title, it is considered to have originated in the house. I believe that's what happened with the healthcare act.