About 425 million people around the world have diabetes.
Around 75 million of them need to inject insulin every day. But this could soon change.
Scientists have discovered a new and easier way to take insulin—by eating it in a capsule or even inside a piece of chocolate.
This new insulin delivery uses very tiny particles called nano-carriers. These particles are so small—10,000 times thinner than a human hair—that you can’t even see them with a regular microscope. The insulin is safely packed inside these tiny particles.
Professor Peter McCourt, a scientist from UiT Norway’s Arctic University, explains that this new method is smarter than injections. It sends the insulin directly to where it’s needed the most. Injections, on the other hand, spread insulin throughout the whole body, which can cause side effects.
This research was published in the journal *Nature Nanotechnology* and was developed by scientists from the University of Sydney, Sydney Local Health District, and UiT Norway.
Years ago, researchers found they could use nano-carriers to deliver medicine directly to the liver. But insulin taken by mouth used to break down in the stomach, so it didn’t work. Now the scientists have solved that problem by adding a special coating to protect the insulin until it reaches the liver.
This coating breaks down only when blood sugar levels are high. Then the insulin is released and helps remove sugar from the blood by acting in the liver, muscles, and fat. When blood sugar is low, no insulin is released. This makes the new method much safer and reduces the risk of dangerously low blood sugar, or hypoglycemia.
Dr. Nicholas Hunt from the University of Sydney says this new method is easier for patients and mimics how insulin works naturally in the body. Normally, insulin from the pancreas first goes to the liver. With injections, too much insulin goes to muscles and fat, which can lead to problems like fat buildup and hypoglycemia. The new method avoids those issues.
Another bonus? No more needle pricks. Patients can take their insulin in a more private and comfortable way. And this chocolate insulin doesn’t need to be kept cold.
The team has already tested the chocolate insulin on worms, mice, and rats. Most recently, they tested it on 20 baboons in Australia. To make it enjoyable, they put the insulin into sugar-free chocolate. The baboons had lower blood sugar after eating it.
Tests on diabetic mice and rats showed more good news: no low blood sugar problems, no weight gain, and no fat buildup in the liver.
Next up: testing on humans. The first trial will begin in 2025, led by a company called Endo Axiom. The first phase will test if it’s safe for people, especially those with type 1 diabetes. If successful, later trials will see if it can replace insulin injections.
If all goes well, this chocolate insulin could be available to patients in just 2–3 years.
If you care about diabetes, please read studies about New diabetes drug could control blood sugar and body weight better and findings of Common diabetes drugs linked to increased heart risk.
For more about diabetes, please read studies about Why diabetes drug metformin can help increase longevity and findings of This drug could manage type 2 diabetes for a long time.
The study is published in Nature Nanotechnology.
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