Painless diabetic treatment may be possible with new insulin pill
Less painful treatment alternatives are now emerging to help patients manage their blood sugar levels. Scientists are developing a new way of administering the medicine orally with tiny vesicles that can deliver insulin where it needs to go without a shot.
The researchers recently presented their work and in vivo testing results at the 252nd National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS).
They have developed a new technology called a Cholestosome, which is a neutral, lipid-based particle that is capable of doing some very interesting things, according to Mary McCourt, Ph.D., a leader of the research team.
Proteins such as insulin are no match for the harsh, highly acidic environment of the stomach. So ushering it through the stomach intact is one of the biggest obstacles to delivering insulin orally.
Other alternatives have also been made to overcome this challenge. One approach packages insulin inside a protective polymer coating to shield the protein from stomach acids and is being tested in clinical trials. Inhalable insulin was also developed and marketed. Some patients gave rave reviews about the product but it hasn’t caught on the market.
Researchers from the Niagara University in New York, McCourt, Lawrence Mielnicki, Ph.D., and undergraduate student Jamie Catalano designed a new way.
Using the patented Cholestosomes developed in the McCourt/Mielnicki lab, the researchers have successfully encapsulated insulin. The novel vesicles are made of naturally occurring lipid molecules, which are normal building blocks of fats. But the researchers say that they are unlike other lipid-based drug carriers, called liposomes.
Computer modeling showed that once the lipids are assembled into spheres, they form neutral particles resistant to attack from stomach acids. Drugs can be loaded inside, and the tiny packages can pass through the stomach without degrading. The body recognizes the Cholestosomes as something to be absorbed when they reach the intestines. The vesicles then pass through the intestines, into the bloodstream, and then cells take them in and break them apart, releasing insulin.
The team has delivered multiple molecules with these vesicles into cells in the lab. To pack the most insulin into the Cholestosomes, the researchers determined the optimal pH and ionic strength of the drug-containing solution.
They then moved the most promising candidates on to animal testing. Studies with rats showed that certain formulations of Cholestosomes loaded with insulin have high bioavailability, which means the vesicles travel into the bloodstream where the insulin needs to be.
The team plans to further optimize the formulations, conduct more animal testing and develop new partnerships to move forward into human trials.
Category: Features, Pharmaceuticals
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