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Painless “Smart Patch” Developed to Deliver Insulin

by Madhumathi Palaniappan on Jan 20 2017 2:17 PM

Painless “Smart Patch” Developed to Deliver Insulin
A painless “smart” patch that monitors the blood glucose level and releases insulin automatically when the level raises is developed by a research team from the American Chemical Society.
The research study is published in the journal ACS Nano. The device was being tested on mice.

People with Type 1 diabetes don't make insulin -- a hormone that regulates blood glucose, or sugar. Those with Type 2 diabetes can't use insulin effectively. Either way, glucose builds up in the blood, which can lead to a host of health problems, including heart disease, stroke, blindness and amputation of toes, feet or legs. To avoid these outcomes, people with Type 1 or advanced Type 2 diabetes regularly prick their fingers to measure blood-sugar levels, and some patients must inject themselves with insulin when needed. But sometimes, despite a person's vigilance, glucose levels can still get out of whack. Zhen Gu and colleagues wanted to come up with a simpler, more effective, shot-free way to manage diabetes.

The researchers developed a skin patch covered in painless microneedles that are loaded with tiny insulin-carrying pouches. The pouches are engineered to break apart rapidly and release the insulin in response to rising glucose levels. Diabetic mice wearing the patch maintained consistent concentrations of insulin in their blood. When these mice received a shot of glucose, their blood sugar levels spiked initially, but then fell to normal levels within two hours.



Source-Eurekalert


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