Oral insulin using nanotechnology may replace the need for injections for diabetics

An international team of scientists has developed a nanotechnology-based system that can deliver insulin orally instead of painful injections.

Worldwide, there are an estimated 425 million people suffering from diabetes, and about 75 million of them inject themselves with insulin daily.

Insulin was discovered in 1921, and is a life-saving medication for those suffering from diabetes. However, producing safe and effective oral insulin has been a major medical hurdle until now.

According to a research paper published in the journal Nature Nanotechnology, scientists led by a team from the University of Sydney in Australia have created an oral insulin tablet that can be consumed like any other tablet. They tested this drug on mice, rats, and baboons.

The new oral insulin is manufactured using an incredibly small nanomaterial, about 1/10,000 the width of a human hair.

This nanomaterial protects insulin molecules from stomach acid. This unique material does more than just create a protective barrier, as it surrounds individual insulin molecules and becomes a “nanocarrier” for these molecules, allowing them to reach the locations in the body where they are needed most.

Nicholas Hunt, lead author and member of the University of Sydney's Nano Institute and the Charles Perkins Centre, said: “A major challenge in developing oral insulin has been the low proportion of insulin that reaches the bloodstream when administered orally or with insulin injections. To address this problem, "We developed a nanocarrier that significantly increases the absorption of nanosized insulin in the intestine when tested in human intestinal tissue."

Preclinical tests in animal models found that after administration, the nanoinsulin was able to control blood glucose levels without hypoglycemia or weight gain. There was no toxicity either.

Human trials are scheduled to begin in 2025, which will be led by Endo Axiom Pty Ltd, a company founded by the research team after 20 years of studies, by Professor Victoria Koger, Professor David Le Couture and Dr Hunt.