A team of researchers on Wednesday reported a new injectable solution to prevent and treat hypoglycemia condition in diabetic patients.
According
to the team, if glucose levels plunge too low, people can experience
hypoglycemia, which can lead to dizziness, cognitive impairment, seizures or
comas.
Researchers
in the journal ACS Central Science report encapsulating the hormone glucagon.
Glucagon is a hormone that signals the liver to release glucose into the
bloodstream.
It's
typically given by injection to counteract severe hypoglycemia in people who
have diabetes.
To
improve glucagon stability and prevent hypoglycemia, Andrea Hevener and Heather
Maynard looked to micelles -- nanoscale, soap-like bubbles that can be
customised to assemble or disassemble in different environments and are used
for drug delivery.
They
developed a glucose-responsive micelle that encapsulates and protects glucagon
in the bloodstream when sugar levels are normal but dissolves if levels drop
dangerously low.
To
prevent hypoglycemia, the micelles could be injected ahead of time and
circulate in the bloodstream until they are needed.
In
mouse trials, the nanocapsules activated when blood sugar levels dropped
dangerously low and quickly restored glucose levels.
In lab
experiments, the researchers observed that the micelles disassembled only in
liquid environments that mimicked hypoglycemic conditions in both human and
mice bodies: less than 60 milligrams of glucose per deciliter.
Next,
when mice experiencing insulin-induced hypoglycemia received an injection of
the specialized micelles, they achieved normal blood sugar levels within 40
minutes.
From
additional toxicity and biosafety studies in mice, the researchers note that
empty micelles didn't trigger an immune response or induce organ damage.
"While
more studies are needed, the researchers say their proof-of-concept is a first
step toward a new on-demand and effective method for preventing or mitigating
extremely low blood sugar levels," the researchers noted.
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