Researchers at the Mayo Clinic say they have found a way to keep insulin acting in the body longer, potentially opening the gates for new treatments for diabetes, according to an article from Medical News Today.
People with Type 1 diabetes do not produce the blood sugar-regulating hormone and must inject it into their bodies. The body, however, breaks that insulin down rather quickly. The researchers say they have developed tiny molecules that work against the agents that ‘chew up’ insulin, allowing it to remain in the body longer and remove sugar from the bloodstream.
The liver naturally destroys about half the insulin made by the pancreas. The molecules help curb that destruction. While such research is promising, an actual medication to improve the performance of insulin would still need to be developed.
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