Scientists at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute have found a medication to improve glucose uptake without using insulin. This pill could be a turning point in the medical field as doctors have used insulin for nearly one century to control blood glucose levels.
According to Dr. Nicholas Kirk, a senior study author from the Institute, researchers have been trying to develop an insulin pill for about 100 years but haven’t succeeded. Finally, however, the researchers were able to find an insulin-mimicking compound.
How researchers conducted the study
Dr. Kirk worked with Prof. Mike Lawrence and scientists from Eli Lilly, a pharmaceutical company in the U.S. The research is now paying off as scientists can make 3D images of the insulin receptor through cryo-electron microscopy. Cryo-electron microscopy is a visualizing technique that allows scientists to evaluate the architecture of sophisticated molecules.
Dr. Kirk explains that the technology enabled them to visualize how insulin and other molecules alter the shape of insulin receptors. The team found that the relationship between insulin and its receptor was more complicated than they initially knew as they observed both forms changing with the interaction.
Using cryo-electron microscopy, researchers made reconstructions of peptides that could interact with insulin receptors and keep them active. They found one molecule that functioned similarly to insulin, thus activating receptors. Therefore, patients could take this molecule to lower blood glucose levels.
It could be a long time before scientists develop insulin-mimicking pills
Although these findings have high potential, it could be long before scientists can apply them clinically. Despite this, the study could generate interest in evaluating other peptides that could replace insulin and simplify the life of people dependent on insulin. Furthermore, the increasing prices of insulin are motivation to find cheaper alternatives for patients with type 1 diabetes.
Scientists have previously found mimetic compounds for other compounds that are now therapies for various diseases but haven’t managed the same for insulin. The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute researchers believe their study could change that and create effective treatments for patients who need insulin to survive.
While the team acknowledges that they need more research to make insulin mimetics a reality, they are glad to know their research could open doors for other studies.
