August 17, 2010

FTNW: JDRF Faster Insulin

JDRF has a press release out on their support studies on faster insulin and insulin delivery methods that make for faster insulin response. It is subtitled: Key step on road to an artificial pancreas.

That may stir up the whole JDRF and Artificial Precancerous conversation. Part of JDRF mission is better ways to live with type 1 while working for cures. I feel that faster insulin is a good thing in and of itself.

Like many I think there maybe avenues to a cure but they are not going to happen soon and probably like everything else associated with T1 individual's responce to the treatments may vary.

JDRF launches research program to accelerate delivery of faster acting insulin

...
JDRF is funding investigators at leading academic institutions to test novel insulin formulations and delivery systems that may speed insulin action – making it work faster than the insulin currently used by people with diabetes around the world today. The objective is to use faster-acting insulin in an artificial pancreas system to more closely mimic a human pancreas in sensing blood sugar and secreting insulin in response.

One means to improve the speed of insulin action is to reformulate the molecule. JDRF will fund Dr. Bruce Buckingham of Stanford University to test such an insulin, Viaject, which is currently in development at Connecticut-based Biodel Inc. JDRF will also fund Dr. W. Kenneth Ward of Oregon Health Sciences University to perform artificial pancreas experiments with Viaject Insulin.

In addition to modifying the insulin molecule, another way to speed insulin action may be to improve the route of delivery. Currently, insulin is delivered subcutaneously (under the surface of the skin); this contributes to the slow action compared to insulin made in the pancreas. JDRF will provide grant funding to Dr. Howard Zisser at the Sansum Diabetes Research Institute to conduct studies there with AFREZZA®, a rapid-acting insulin being developed by California's MannKind Corporation; inhaled at mealtime, AFREZZA achieves peak insulin levels quickly.

JDRF recently announced a collaboration with BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company) to develop a microneedle-based delivery system. In addition, JDRF will provide funding to test two new devices also aimed at providing mechanical means to achieve faster insulin action. The first will support Dr. Howard Zisser at the University of California, Santa Barbara's Sansum Diabetes Research Institute testing Roche Diabetes Care's Accu-Chek® DiaPort system. The Accu-Chek DiaPort is a percutaneous port system, connected with an external pump, that delivers insulin directly to the liver, the primary site of insulin action. The second JDRF grant will support Dr. William Tamborlane of Yale University to test a unique warming device, InsuPatch, made by InsuLine Medical Ltd. Preliminary data suggests that this device, adaptable to most infusion pumps, considerably accelerates the action of insulin.


3 comments :

  1. The trick will be the creation of a faster juice box.

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  2. So True. I think the key to a faster juice box is that clear plastic they wrap the straws in. That Your kids goes low so you run for a juice box and then struggle trying to poke the straw out of its wrapper. stuff is tougher than Kevlar.

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  3. Thanks for keeping me up to date! I've been a little absent these past few weeks, but catching up with YDMV makes me feel like I didn't miss much!

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