Current and Possible Future Applications
The difficulty that diabetic patients face when being diagnosed with diabetes is adapting to their new life style, where in almost everything they eat or drink, they must inject their body with insulin on average of 3 or more times a day. To decrease the suffering and improve the adherence in insulin regimens, the use of supersonic injectors, infusion pumps, sharp needles and pens has been adopted. The search for more acceptable methods for administering insulin continues. Of course, the success of a new treatment really depends on the effectiveness of managing the blood sugar and avoiding any diabetic complications. The newer methods explored include the artificial pancreas with closed- loop system, transdermal insulin, and buccal, oral, pulmonary, nasal, ocular and rectal routes. This review focuses on the new concepts that are being explored for use in future.
Image: An insulin pump attached to a person's body, which is an alternative method of treatment to injections, when the patients needs to correct his insulin bolus, all they have to do is enter the glucose level, and the amount of carbohydrates that person eats/drinks.
The difficulty that diabetic patients face when being diagnosed with diabetes is adapting to their new life style, where in almost everything they eat or drink, they must inject their body with insulin on average of 3 or more times a day. To decrease the suffering and improve the adherence in insulin regimens, the use of supersonic injectors, infusion pumps, sharp needles and pens has been adopted. The search for more acceptable methods for administering insulin continues. Of course, the success of a new treatment really depends on the effectiveness of managing the blood sugar and avoiding any diabetic complications. The newer methods explored include the artificial pancreas with closed- loop system, transdermal insulin, and buccal, oral, pulmonary, nasal, ocular and rectal routes. This review focuses on the new concepts that are being explored for use in future.
Image: An insulin pump attached to a person's body, which is an alternative method of treatment to injections, when the patients needs to correct his insulin bolus, all they have to do is enter the glucose level, and the amount of carbohydrates that person eats/drinks.
New treatment?
A hormone called Betatrophin prompts cells in the pancreas to multiply and produce more insulin. The finding, in mice, may lead to new ways to prevent or slow the progression of diabetes. To test the effects of Betatrophin in the body, the researchers injected the Betatrophin gene into mouse livers. After 8 days, beta cells in these mice filled 3 times more space in the pancreas than in control-injected mice, and pancreas insulin content doubled. The mice also had a lower fasting glucose level and improved glucose tolerance compared to controlled diabetic mice.
A hormone called Betatrophin prompts cells in the pancreas to multiply and produce more insulin. The finding, in mice, may lead to new ways to prevent or slow the progression of diabetes. To test the effects of Betatrophin in the body, the researchers injected the Betatrophin gene into mouse livers. After 8 days, beta cells in these mice filled 3 times more space in the pancreas than in control-injected mice, and pancreas insulin content doubled. The mice also had a lower fasting glucose level and improved glucose tolerance compared to controlled diabetic mice.