Bubblegum for Diabetics Could Replace Daily Insulin Jabs

American scientists are working on an interesting invention - a bubblegum that could deliver insulin and thus end daily jabs for people suffering from diabetes. The gum will allow people to take medicine orally. When they chew the gum, the medicine is absorbed into the bloodstream. It is worth mentioning that insulin cannot be swallowed due to the fact that it is unable to survive the journey through the digestive system since the acid bath in our stomach along with the enzymes found in the intestines destroy it.

Now a team of researchers, led by Tejal Desai of the University of California, are working on designing devices that make use of microscopic capsules that protect insulin and bring it to the bloodstream.

The capsules are so small that the patient will not notice when these are swallowed after being dissolved in the saliva. Covered in spines, the capsules stick to the gut's walls and then steadily release insulin inside, reports The Daily Telegraph. The professor is currently upgrading the capsules in order to improve their adhesion as well as their rate of supply of insulin.

This interesting invention has not yet been tested on humans. Prof. Desai is to reveal the results of the tests on humans at the annual meeting of the American Institute of Physics. The researcher believes that the gum could also be used to deliver hormones and anti-inflammatory drugs.

Posted by greendan80