SmartInsulin: The Next Best Thing?

Researchers might be on the verge of a huge breakthrough in diabetes care. Right now, experiments are being conducted with a new type of insulin - an insulin that, if all goes well, would only need to be taken once a day to control blood sugars.

SmartInsulin was developed by a biotech company called SmartCells, Inc., which is based in Massachussets. The scientists at SmartCells have engineered a new type of artificial insulin which can be stored in the body and released automatically as blood sugars rise and fall.

Imagine taking one injection of insulin in the morning, and then eating and exercising freely during the day without doing any calculations or giving extra doses. The injected SmartInsulin would release itself in increments to keep blood sugars steady, doing nearly the same thing as a healthy pancreas. SmartInsulin nearly eliminates the risk of hypoglycemia, unlike conventional insulin.

How SmartCells, inc. is connected to JDRF

Dr. Todd Zion, the president, CEO and cofounder of SmartCells, gave a presentation on SmartInsulin this week in Washington, D.C. for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF). The JDRF capitol chapter hosts "research updates" periodically, often in conjunction with its annual board meeting, to showcase the findings of scientists who are funded by JDRF. This makes sense, because it proves that all the money we raise at the Walk and other events is making a difference!

Zion is a chemical engineer who started his company at MIT in August of 2003. He has received funding from JDRF since 2008. 

Why SmartInsulin is going to be better than an "artificial pancreas" or "closed-loop system"

Until now, the diabetes community has been pinning its hopes on a closed-loop system which could mimic the pancreas by sensing blood glucose via a sensor (like the Dexcom CGM that I wear) and communicating with an implanted insulin pump. However, this artificial pancreas would use conventional insulin - which carries the risk of hypoglycemia and other side effects. SmartInsulin is capable of responding to fluctuations in blood glucose on its own, without a sensor and without a pump. When blood glucose levels drop to a certain point, SmartInsulin shuts itself down until the levels rise again.

What the future looks like

SmartInsulin has been successfully tested in rats and pigs. In these experiments, SmartInsulin even had fewer side effects associated with it than regular insulin. The next step? Human trials. Going through these trials and eventually getting FDA approval for SmartInsulin is a long process, but Zion said that it is possible for the insulin to be out on the market as early as 2014.