UCLA

Traditional self-administered treatment of type 1 diabetes typically requires multiple injections on a daily basis, which is painful and inconvenient and often results in poor compliance and glucose regulation. Closed-loop insulin systems have been proposed such as electronic based glucose-responsive pumps and synthetic glucose-sensitive materials. In this report, erythrocyte membrane-coated nanoparticles with GLUT receptors on the surface of the particles and bonded synthetic glucose-conjugated insulin (Glu-insulin) were created for mounting glucose-sensitive release of insulin. Multiple biomaterial delivery systems were tested in vitro to achieve optimal extended and sustained release. In hyperglycemic conditions, high concentrations of glucose in interstitial fluid can displace Glu-Insulin via a competitive interaction with GLUT, leading to a quick release of Glu-Insulin and subsequent regulation of blood glucose (BG) levels.