Some good news for diabetics. Scientists have created an insulin which they claim can survive warmth and doesn’t require to be kept in a fridge.
Normally, insulin starts to go bad above 4°C — making insulin supply very difficult in areas that don’t have refrigeration. Now, an international team, led by Monash University, has successfully strengthened the insulin’s chemical structure without affecting its activity and this new insulin doesn’t at all require refrigeration.
Normally, insulin starts to go bad above 4°C — making insulin supply very difficult in areas that don’t have refrigeration. Now, an international team, led by Monash University, has successfully strengthened the insulin’s chemical structure without affecting its activity and this new insulin doesn’t at all require refrigeration.
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| Insulin Stucture |
The instability of insulin is closely related to its chemical structure.
Insulin is constructed from two different protein chains which are joined together by unstable disulfide bonds.Using a series of chemical reactions, we have been able to replace the unstable bonds with stronger, carbon-based bridges. This replacement does not change the natural activity of insulin, but it does appear to significantly enhance its stability.”
These so-called ‘dicarba insulins’ are stable at room temperature. And, Bianca says, storage at higher temperatures for several years had not resulted in degradation or loss of activity.
The new insulins may also provide much-needed insight into how the molecule works.
“Insulin acts like a key in a lock at its receptor. When insulin binds to the receptor the lock opens and allows sugar to be taken up into cells from the blood. But insulin is known to change shape inside the ‘lock’ (the receptor), and its final shape is currently unknown.”
If we had that information, we might be able to design smaller, less complex, non-protein mimics of insulin. Such molecules could one day become the basis of treatments taken in pill form, eliminating the need for injections.
In India, maintaining cold chain throughout insulin’s manufacture to supply, itself pose a huge challenge as proper storage facilities not easily available.
The new insulins which does not require refrigeration would be a great news for those diabetic patients that live in remote areas it is usually difficult to transport insulin formulations.
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