‘Holy Grail’, new ‘smart’ insulin that responds to changes in blood sugar levels in real time, created by scientists

TREATMENT for millions of people suffering from type 1 diabetes will be completely revolutionized.

Scientists have now developed a smart type of insulin that responds in real time whenever needed in the body.

The “Holy Grail” insulin mimics the body’s changes in blood sugar levels, reducing the number of times patients need to be treated.

Around 220,000 Britons live with type 1 diabetes, including actor James Norton and former prime minister Theresa May.

Unlike type 2 diabetes, there is nothing you can do to prevent yourself or others from developing type 1 diabetes.

The lifelong condition destroys the cells in the pancreas that produce the hormone insulin, which helps control blood sugar levels.

Currently, type 1 diabetics must inject themselves with synthetic insulin up to 10 times a day to survive.

The constant fluctuation between high and low blood sugar levels can result in a number of serious health problems, including eye damage and heart disease.

Standard insulins stabilize blood sugar levels when they enter the body.

But once it has done its job, it can’t help to avoid more spikes.

This is why patients need to inject more insulin again every few hours.

In the future, experts believe patients will only need to take the newly developed insulin once a week.

They also believe this solution comes as close to a cure for type 1 diabetes as any drug therapy could.

Millions of pounds of funding have been awarded to accelerate the development of new glucose-responsive insulin (GRI). Guardian reported.

Scientists from Stanford University in the US, Monash University in Australia and Zhejiang University in China are among those to receive £3 million for six research projects to develop smart insulins.

Four of the projects aim to develop new GRIs, while another was launched to find an ultra-fast-acting variant.

Dr. Tim Heise, vice chair of the New Insulins Scientific Advisory Panel for the Type 1 Diabetes Grand Challenge, said the new GRIs would be the “Holy Grail” of insulin.

He said the innovation would greatly help patients who currently need to manage their condition on a daily basis by balancing glycemic control and avoiding hypoglycemia.

Dr Elizabeth Robertson, director of research at Diabetes UK, said the new solution would “significantly reduce daily challenges” as well as the physical and mental health of those managing the disease.