Type 2 diabetes is not contagious, yet it is one of the most dangerous diseases of our time. According to WHO estimates, over 422 million people around the world struggle with it. The invention of scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology could change the lives of all of them.
Scientists from the American University of Technology Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have created a capsule that makes it possible to administer insulin orally. It can replace the daily injections that replenish the deficiency of this hormone in type 2 diabetics, saving their lives. Thanks to the invention, patients would free themselves from this onerous obligation (injections have to be made even several times a day), says Rzezczpospolita.
In a nutshell, insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas. It allows glucose to enter cells and thus provide them with energy. Too little insulin production and hence high blood sugar causes diabetes.
A capsule that MIT scientists developed injects a hormone into the stomach wall. It contains a tiny needle made of compressed, lyophilized insulin, which is released in the stomach (the sharp tip of the needle is almost 100% insulin, the rest of the needle is a biodegradable material). Inside the capsule, the needle is attached to a taut spring held in place by a disc made of sugar. When swallowed, under the influence of moisture, the sugar dissolves and the needle goes into the stomach wall. When insulin is released into the body, the remainder of the capsule is eliminated from the body through the digestive system. Due to the fact that the stomach walls are devoid of pain receptors, the whole process is painless.
The invention is designed to control the rate of insulin dissolution. During the tests, the complete release of insulin into the bloodstream took about an hour.
Importantly, the capsule is designed so that, regardless of the patient’s movements and stomach contractions, it automatically adheres to the organ wall and sticks the needle into it. When creating their invention, researchers were inspired by the African leopard turtle, and more specifically by the shape of its shell. The animal’s armor is clearly arched, thanks to which the turtle easily returns to its correct position after being tipped over onto its back.
Comp. on the basis of rp.pl; apteline.pl