Developing Insulin Delivery Devices with Glucose Responsiveness

Understanding the mechanisms, advantages, and limitations of various insulin delivery routes is imperative for the future design and optimization of innovative delivery devices. Incorporating glucose-responsive modules with drug delivery devices could promote self-regulated insulin delivery in response to the real-time metabolic needs of patients, thereby mitigating exposure to both hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia. There have been major advances in the development of glucose-responsive insulin delivery devices, including efforts to design artificial pancreas devices, synthetic system-based glucose-responsive mechanisms, and engineered molecular glucose-responsive insulin. Integration of minimally invasive delivery strategies is essential for reducing the day-to-day burden of insulin therapy to improve patient adherence and glycemic outcomes. Individuals with type 1 and advanced type 2 diabetes require daily insulin therapy to maintain blood glucose levels in normoglycemic ranges to prevent associated morbidity and mortality. Optimal insulin delivery should offer both precise dosing in response to real-time blood glucose levels as well as a feasible and low-burden administration route to promote long-term adherence. A series of glucose-responsive insulin delivery mechanisms and devices have been reported to increase patient compliance while mitigating the risk of hypoglycemia. This review discusses currently available insulin delivery devices, overviews recent developments towards the generation of glucose-responsive delivery systems, and provides commentary on the opportunities and barriers ahead regarding the integration and translation of current glucose-responsive insulin delivery designs. Individuals with type 1 and advanced type 2 diabetes require daily insulin therapy to maintain blood glucose levels in normoglycemic ranges to prevent associated morbidity and mortality. Optimal insulin delivery should offer both precise dosing in response to real-time blood glucose levels as well as a feasible and low-burden administration route to promote long-term adherence. A series of glucose-responsive insulin delivery mechanisms and devices have been reported to increase patient compliance while mitigating the risk of hypoglycemia. This review discusses currently available insulin delivery devices, overviews recent developments towards the generation of glucose-responsive delivery systems, and provides commentary on the opportunities and barriers ahead regarding the integration and translation of current glucose-responsive insulin delivery designs. oligonucleotide or peptide molecules that can specifically bind to a target molecule. a combination of a long-acting basal insulin with a rapid-acting insulin taken throughout the day. a hormone secreted by α cells of the pancreas that increases glucose and fatty acid concentrations in the bloodstream. an enzyme that catalyzes the oxidation of glucose to H2O2 and gluconic acid in the presence of oxygen. a biochemical process that breaks down glycogen into glucose-6-phosphate during lack of glucose. loss of subcutaneous fat tissue. Chemically reactive molecules that contain oxygen and are known to cause damage to DNA, RNA, and proteins in a cell. the horny outermost layer of the skin made up of very resilient and specialized skin cells and keratin. a chronic condition characterized by little or no insulin production by the pancreas. a chronic condition characterized by increased insulin resistance, with decreased insulin production in advanced stages.