Glucose responsive insulin nanoparticle for the treatment of diabetes

Type one diabetes (T1D) has reached epidemic proportions and people living with the disease are dependent on insulin therapy to help keep their blood-sugar levels from spiking too high, which can lead to long- term complications such as kidney and heart diseases or an acute, potentially deadly health crisis. Present-day insulin therapy is, however, an imperfect treatment method that requires people with T1D to monitor their blood sugar throughout the day and take multiple, carefully calculated doses of insulin based on food intake, exercise, stress, illness and other factors. A miscalculation or unexpected variable leading to high- or low-blood-sugar episodes are daily threats and only a third of people with T1D achieve their long-term blood glucose targets, placing them at risk for T1D-related complications. The goal of this project is glucose responsive insulin which would only be activated when glucose levels are high. The system will use cutting-edge chemical engineering technology, with nanoparticles designed to degrade and leave no residue once insulin has been released.