Nose drops for diabetics

Insulin gel for the nose as an alternative to injections

Roman Ivanov, ComputerThe search for alternative ways of insulin administration does not stop.

And the reason is simple: people suffering from diabetes have to do subcutaneous injections up to four times a day. Scientists from the University of Sunderland (UK) focused on the possibility of insulin entering through the nasal membrane. In other words, the hormone must take the form of a hydrogel. This ensures the painless administration of the drug, its relatively high bioavailability, and also avoids the effect of the first passage (metabolism of drugs before they enter the systemic circulation).

It is known that recently considerable efforts have been directed to the development of alternative non-invasive systems for delivering insulin into the bloodstream, including such popular methods as oral and percutaneous administration. The main obstacles in the creation of nasal methods are the rapid mucociliary clearance of the drug into the nasopharynx, sharply reducing the time interval during which its beneficial absorption can occur, as well as the low permeability of the nasal membrane for peptides (which is insulin), which is explained by the presence of impermeable partitions between epithelial cells.

However, the British managed to kill two birds with one stone: they coped with both problems at once by using trimethylated chitosan mixed with two other additives – glycerophosphate and polyethylene glycol. So a composition was created that spontaneously transforms into a gel at a physiological temperature characteristic of the nasal cavity. This creates a necessary barrier to a permanent cleaning mechanism, and also allows you to maximize the duration of the drug's stay on mucociliary surfaces.

Now the developers' dreams are connected with the time when they will be able to get a "smart" hydrogel that can respond to an increase in blood sugar levels by partially releasing insulin stored in it. This would make it possible to abandon not only regular subcutaneous injections, but also no less irritating injections, which are produced by monitors that monitor blood sugar levels.

More information about the development can be found in the journal Biomaterials Science: Nazar et al., A once-a-day dosage form for the delivery of insulin through the nasal route: in vitro assessment and in vivo evaluation
(the drawing is a graphic abstract of this article – VM :).

Prepared based on the materials of Chemistry World:
Nasal gel alternative to insulin injection.

Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru12.11.2012