Researchers developing smart insulins, may respond to real-time blood sugar changes
BOSTON - Controlling blood sugars could become even easier for people with type 1 diabetes.
People with type 1 diabetes don't produce enough insulin. They must control their blood sugar with daily injections of insulin or an insulin pump to prevent a host of medical problems including kidney disease, heart disease, or vision loss.
If overcorrected, however, their blood sugar can plummet to dangerously low levels. But now researchers are developing so-called "smart insulins" that could respond to changing blood sugar levels in real-time without the need for pumps, injections, or glucose monitors.
Scientists are also investigating insulins that would only need to be injected once a week and capsules that could be taken by mouth, all with the hope of reducing the burden on people with type 1 diabetes to manage their condition and improve their quality of life.