CHEEKY INSULIN PATCH

Managing blood sugar levels requires regular attention for people diagnosed with diabetes. Many with the condition need to take regular shots of insulin – the primary hormone that regulates sugar. People primarily take insulin by injecting themselves with pens or syringes, or they have semi-permanent pumps implanted. Researchers have explored other ways to deliver insulin through less invasive ways such as through the skin using gel-like lotions, but the skin is too strong a barrier, and drugs move into the body slowly. In contrast, the membrane lining the inside of the mouth is very thin – about a quarter the thickness of skin – making it a potential place for drugs to easily enter the bloodstream. Researchers from the American Chemical Society have developed a prototype insulin-loaded patch that sticks to the inside of a person’s cheek. The initial tests have been promising and the next step is to conduct further preclinical studies of the prototype.