Synthetic hinge could hold key to revolutionary 'smart' insulin therapy

[Northerner]

For people with diabetes who are insulin dependent, glycemic control is a full-time job. But what if their medication could do the work for them -- an insulin whose activity in the bloodstream responds to the blood glucose levels and adjusts accordingly? An invention from Indiana University School of Medicine Distinguished Professor Michael A. Weiss, MD, PhD, could lead to just that.

In a breakthrough study published in the peer-reviewed journal PNAS, Weiss and his team describe the use of a synthetic "switch" that can be opened or closed using a simple sugar sensor. The study was in part collaborative with Thermalin, Inc., a small biotech company that Weiss began in 2008.

Their concept exploits a natural mechanism, designated the "protective hinge," that is built into vertebrate insulins. The protective hinge is a natural structural feature that evolved more than half a billion years ago to keep the hormone stable in its closed state but foldable and functional in its open state.

Synthetic hinge could hold key to revolutionary 'smart' insulin therapy

For people with diabetes who are insulin dependent, glycemic control is a full-time job. But what if their medication could do the work for them -- an insulin whose activity in the bloodstream responds to the blood glucose levels and adjusts accordingly? A new invention could lead to just that.

www.sciencedaily.com

 

[mikeyB]

Sounds very fine in theory, but it is hugely complex to design such a hinge to close when normal BG is achieved, release an appropriate dose of insulin, then close, and keep up responding appropriately. A massive task, so I don’t anticipate its appearance in my lifetime.