No need for injections, fast onset, "Insulin Oral Patch" to find out!

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A new dosage form of insulin attached to the inside of the mouth - the insulin oral patch - the latest research progress has been released
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 At present, there are some limitations in the way of insulin administration.
Tens of thousands of diabetic patients need to receive insulin treatment.
The administration methods mainly include insulin pens, syringes or semi-permanent insulin pumps
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However, these invasive administration methods often require relatively cumbersome operations, and the uncomfortable feeling also has a certain impact on compliance
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In the past, some researchers have explored the way of skin administration of insulin
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However, due to the strong barrier function of the skin, it takes a long time for the drug to enter the body
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In contrast, the mucous membranes on the inside of the mouth are very thin (about a quarter of the thickness of the skin), making it easier for drugs to enter the bloodstream
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 To this end, the researchers explored the oral mucosal administration route of insulin, and achieved preliminary results, which were published in the journal ACSAppl Bio Mater
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Insulin oral patch - a new exploration of insulin delivery methods Previously, the research team has found that reduced graphene oxide modified polyacrylic fiber pads have great potential as oral and corneal insulin drug carriers, this study is a further exploration
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The researchers soaked a drug carrier composed of polyacrylic acid, beta-cyclodextrin and reduced graphene oxide in an insulin solution for three hours
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Afterwards, the insulin-loaded patch was affixed to the inside of the pig's oral cavity
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Heating it with a near-infrared laser to 122F (50°C) for 10 minutes activates the material and releases insulin into the skin several times faster than the skin
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In addition, the researchers placed in vivo patches on the inside of the mouths of three insulin-dependent experimental pigs
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The body was not stimulated or visually altered by the heat of the laser
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Once the material was activated, blood glucose levels in the experimental pigs decreased and plasma insulin levels increased
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This proof-of-concept study initially shows that the drug delivery device can effectively deliver insulin into the bloodstream
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 The next step will be further preclinical studies in animal models, the researchers said
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 References: [1] American Chemical Society.
"An insulin patch that sticks inside a person's cheek.
" ScienceDaily.
ScienceDaily, 3 February 2022.
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[2] Anna Voronova, Cristina Prieto, Maria Pardo-Figuerez, Jose Maria Lagaron, Amitav Sanyal, Bilal Demir, Thomas Hubert, Valerie Plaisance, Valerie Pawlowski, Séverine Vignoud-Despond, Alexandre Barras, Amar Abderrahmani, Rabah Boukherroub, Sabine Szunerits.
Photothermal Activatable Mucoadhesive Fiber Mats for On-Demand Delivery of Insulin via Buccal and Corneal Mucosa.
ACS Applied Bio Materials, 2022; DOI: 10.
1021/acsabm.
1c01161