Scientists at Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR) have recently developed an injectable Silk fibroin-based hydrogel for sustained insulin delivery in diabetic patients. A patent application has also been filed for this invention.
The injectable Silk fibroin-based hydrogel is developed using the biocompatible additives, The injectable SF hydrogel (iSFH) can ease insulin delivery in diabetic patients.
The injection was tested on diabetic rats.
The injection of insulin with-iSFH formed an active depot under the skin from which the insulin trickled out slowly and restored the physiological glucose homeostasis for a prolonged period of 4 days with no risks of low blood sugar through sudden bursts of high concentration of insulin into the blood.
The iSFH is expected to be an effective insulin delivery tool for diabetic patients with excellent mechanical strength, biocompatibility, encapsulation, storage, and demonstration of its sustained delivery of active insulin in the diabetic animal.
