A modified version of insulin, that can automatically control sudden drops in blood sugar, has been successfully tested in pigs and rats providing an improved treatment option for diabetes.

For people with type 1 diabetes, blood sugar levels must be controlled with insulin injections so that the levels do not become too high. However, it can be hard to predict the fluctuations in blood sugar and the best dosage of insulin needed.

Now researchers at Novo Nordisk, Denmark, have developed a modified form of insulin (NNCC2215) that varies its activity depending on the body’s levels of blood sugar.

The new molecule has a ‘switch’ that automatically opens when there are higher levels of blood sugar (allowing the insulin to become more active), and closes under lower levels (when the insulin becomes less active).

When injected into pigs and rats that had received glucose infusions, to mimic diabetes, NNC2215 was as good as normal human insulin at lowering blood sugar and also prevented sharp drops – severe effects that can be experienced by people with diabetes.